I 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


THE 


AMERICAI  HOME  GAEDEN. 

BEING 
PRINCIPLES   AND   RULES  FOR  THE  CULTURE  OF 

VEGETABLES,  FEUITS,  FLOWERS,  AND  SHRUBBERY. 

TO  WHICH  ABE  ADDED 

BRIEF  NOTES  ON  FARM  CROPS,  WITH  A  TABLE  OF  THEIR  AVERAGE 
PRODUCT  AND  CHEMICAL  CONSTITUENTS. 


BY  ALEXANDER  WATSON. 


"And  the  Lord  God  planted  a  garden."— Gen.,  iL,  8. 


NEW    YORK: 

HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  PUBLISHERS, 

FRANKLIN     SQUARE. 

1859. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  fifty-nine,  by 

HARPER    &    BROTHERS, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Southern  District  of 

New  York. 


W3 


DEDICATION. 


To  those  young  men  and  women  of  the  Union  who  would 
make  their  present  or  prospective  homes  rich  with  the  com- 
forts, bright  with  the  beauties,  and  fragrant  with  the  sweets 
that  a  garden  may  be  made  to  yield,  this  work  is  respectfully 
dedicated  by  their  sincere  friend, 

THE  AUTHOR. 


PREFACE. 


IT  is  related  of  one  Eliezar,  in  proof  of  the  vastness  of  his 
knowledge,  that  "  he  made  not  less  than  three  hundred  consti- 
tutions concerning  the  manner  of  cultivating  cucumbers."  The 
author  of  the  following  work  has  no  ambition  to  rival  or  to  im- 
itate Eliezar.  He  has  aimed  to  present,  in  a  digested  and  plain 
form,  such  directions  and  information  as  will,  if  applied,  enable 
any  one  who  has  a  garden  to  supply  the  home  table  with  its 
pleasant  and  healthful  products  at  the  least  possible  outlay  of 
labor  and  expense,  and  add  choice  fruits  and  flowers  to  the  fam- 
ily stock  of  rational,  cheap,  every-day  enjoyments. 

He  has  sought  to  instruct  his  readers  by  general  principles 
and  directions  rather  than  by  extended  details,  believing  that 
the  good  sense  of  those  for  whom  he  writes  will  readily  and 
understandingly  apply  them,  with  or  without  modifications,  as 
the  circumstances  of  soil,  season,  or  latitude  may  require. 
With  much  less  labor  he  might  have  made  a  book  twice  as 
large,  and  not  half  as  intelligible. 

The  time  of  planting  the  principal  corn-crop  forms  an  iso- 
thermal line  throughout  the  various  latitudes,  and  may  there- 
fore serve  as  a  kind  of  equator  for  the  cultivator  in  respect  to 
the  times,  earlier  or  later,  for  putting  in  garden  crops ;  and 
this  circumstance  has  been,  to  some  extent,  taken  advantage  of 
in  the  directions  given  in  this  work,  so  that  it  will  be  found 
intelligible  and  suitable  in  any  latitude  or  locality.  Adapta- 
tion to  this  generality  of  use  has  also  been  consulted  in  the 
enumeration  of  insects,  and  their  remedies  or  preventives. 

The  details  of  the  culture  of  fruit,  flowers,  and  shrubbery  are 


VI  PREFACE. 

more  fully  elaborated  than  might  otherwise  have  been  deemed 
necessary,  with  the  view  of  inducing  our  youth  to  give  some 
attention  to  them;  by  their  own  skill  and  labor  multiplying 
around  the  homes  of  their  boyhood  those  pleasant  associations 
and  enjoyments,  the  fragrant  and  ever-blooming  memories  of 
which  may  yield  them  refreshment  in  the  dusty  road  of  after- 
life. 

Additional  interest  might  be  given  to  such  efforts  by  obtain- 
ing the  seeds,  or  scions,  or  grafts  from  scattered  school  or  class- 
mates. With  the  cheap  mail  facilities  we  now  possess,  there 
seems  to  be  no  reason  why  there  should  not  be,  through  this 
channel,  an  extensive  annual  interchange  of  grafts  of  valuable 
fruits,  and  flower  and  vegetable  seeds,  between  the  different 
parts  of  our  country. 

With  the  still  farther  hope  that  his  book  may  find  a  famil- 
iar place  in  many  a  farm  home,  the  author  has  added  brief 
notes  on  farm  crops,  with  the  modes  of  estimating  their  value, 
etc.,  and  a  table  of  their  chemical  analyses. 

In  preparing  the  limited  selections  of  the  various  fruits  con- 
tained in  this  volume,  the  author  has  been  aided  by  the  treat- 
ises of  Downing,  Cole,  Thomas,  Elliott,  and  others.  In  the  de- 
scriptions given  of  particular  insects  he  has  octen  availed  him- 
self of  the  reports  of  Dr.  Asa  Fitch,  made  to  the  Legislature  of 
New  York,  on  the  noxious  and  other  insects  of  the  state,  and 
the  report  on  the  insects  of  Massachusetts,  made  to  the  Legis- 
lature of  that  state,  by  the  late  Dr.  T.  W.  Harris  ;  while  for 
most  of  the  illustrative  drawings  which  form  an  important  fea- 
ture of  the  work  he  is  indebted  to  his  wife,  and  has  pleasure 
in  acknowledging  the  obligation.  His  thanks  are  also  due  to 
the  engraver  for  the  general  truthfulness  and  excellence  of  the 
illustrations,  some  of  which  presented  peculiar  difficulties  in 
their  execution ;  and  to  the  publishers  for  the  liberality  and 
taste  with  which  the  work  is  got  up. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Plan. — The  Garden. — Form,  Aspect,  Fencing,  Protection,  &c. — Mechanical 
Preparation  of  various  Soils,  Draining,  Plowing,  &c Page  13 

CHAPTER  II. 
Appendages.— Garden-house,  Pit,  Frame,  Cold  Bed,  Hot  Bed,  &c 26 

CHAPTER  III. 
Implements  of  common  Culture  from  Plow  to  Dibber 38 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Sources  of  Vegetation. — Elements  of  Vegetable  and  Animal  Life. — Ma- 
nuring and  Manures,  Composts,  etc 59 

CHAPTER  V. 

Reproduction  in  wild  and  cultivated  Plants. — Vitality  of  Seeds  dependent 
on  certain  conditions 66 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Vegetable  Forms,  Importance  of;  Original;  Improvements  in. — Vegeta- 
bles, Color  of;  Deterioration  of;  Stock  or  Character  of. 69 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Fertilization,  in  perfect,  monoecious,  and  dioecious  Flowers. — Necessary  to 
the  Production  of  perfect  Seed. — Modes  of  natural  and  artificial  Fertil- 
ization.— Production  of  new  Varieties  of  Vegetables 74 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Sowing,  Manner  of;  Time  of;  Depth  of,  etc.— Combination  of  Vegetable 
Crops. — Transplanting,  Ridging,  Hilling,  etc 82 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Insects;  general  Characteristics  of ;  Changes  of ;  Prevalence  of . — Means  of 
Defense  and  Offense  against  them 94 


Vlil  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  X. 

Insects  injurious  to  Garden  Vegetables,  &c. — Aphides. — Larvae,  or  Worms. 
—Moles Page  99 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Vegetables  for  the  Garden,  &c.,  with  Descriptions,  and  Directions  for  their 
Culture. — Assortment  of  Seeds  for  a  Family  Garden 114 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Fruits. — Effect  of  Soil,  Climate. — Shape  of,  Color,  Flavor,  Specific  Gravity. 
— Fruit-trees;  selecting  Varieties,  bearing  Qualities,  new  Kinds 189 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Propagation  of  Fruit-trees  by  Seeds,  Cuttings,  Layers,  &c. — Various 
Stocks  for  Fruit-trees 195 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Implements  for  Pruning,  Budding,  and  Grafting 207 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Nature  of  Budding. — Bud  Scions. — Stocks  for,  and  Modes  and  Times  of 
Budding. — After-treatment,  &c 218 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Grafting. — Grafting  large  Trees,  &c. — Various  Modes  and  Times  of  Graft- 
ing.— After-treatment 225 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Setting  out  Trees,  preparing  Holes,  &c. — Tables  of  Arrangement  of  Dis- 
tances, Area,  &c. — After-culture. — Combination  of  Fruits 243 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Pruning;  various  Objects,  Periods,  and  Modes  of. — Cleaning  and  Scrap- 
ing Fruit-trees. — Fruiting;  healthful  Tendency  to. — The  Law  of  prema- 
ture or  forced  Fruiting,  and  various  Modes  of  its  Application 251 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Diseases  of  Fruit-trees. — Insects  injurious  to  Fruit  and  Fruit-trees,  with 
Remedies. — Washes  to  destroy  Insects 259 

CHAPTER  XX. 

Fruits  in  alphabetical  Order,  in  their  Varieties,  with  Descriptions  and  Di- 
rections for  their  Culture ..  286 


CONTENTS.  *.  IX 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Flowers,  Shrubs,  &c.,  of  various  Classes. — Propagation  of  Flowers,  &c.,  by 
Cuttings,  Layers,  Budding,  and  Grafting. — Soils  and  Composts  for  Flow- 
ers.— Select  Lists  of  Flowers  of  various  Classes. — Treatment  of  Plants  in 
House  and  Green-house,  Heating  Apparatus,  &c. — Select  Lists  of  hardy 
Shrubs,  Roses,  Climbing  Shrubs,  Evergreens,  Shade-trees,  &c.,  with  Di- 
rections for  their  Propagation  and  Culture Page  434 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Brief  Notes  on  Farm  Crops,  with  Table  of  Quantities  of  Seed  required  per 
Acre. — Crop  estimated  by  its  Money  Value,  and  by  its  Capacity  to  support 
Animal  Life. — Table  of  average  Product  of  various  Farm  Crops,  and  of 
their  chemical  Constituents. — Remarks  explanatory  of  the  Table 495 

ADDENDA. 

Forcing  Vegetables,  &c. --Training  Fruit-trees 507 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN, 


CHAPTER  I. 

Plan.— The  Garden.— Form,  Aspect,  Fencing,  Protection,  &c.— Mechanical 
Preparation  of  various  Soils,  Draining,  Plowing,  &c. 

PLAN  OF  GARDEN. 
Fig.  1. 


A,  Garden  House. 

B,  Pit. 

C,  Cold  Bed. 

D,  Hot  Bed. 

E,  North  Border. 

F,  F,  F,  East,  West,  and  South  nar- 
row Borders. 


G,  G,  Entrances. 

H,  North  Border  Path. 

I,  I,  I,  East,  West,  and  South  Border 

Paths. 

J,  J,  Centre  Path  north  and  south. 
K,  K,  Centre  Path  east  and  west, 

temporary  or  permanent. 


14  AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  ( 

THE  GARDEN. 
FORM,  ASPECT,  ARRANGEMENT,  &C. 

THERE  is,  of  course,  no  absolute  rule  for  either  the  size, 
shape,  aspect,  or  arrangement  of  a  garden ;  each  one  may  follow, 
in  each  of  these  respects,  the  dictates  of  possibility,  convenience, 
or  fancy.  But,  keeping  in  view  the  main  purpose  of  this  work 
as  a  directory. for  an  American  home  garden,  I  have  given  a  plan 
suitable  for  gardens  of  various  sizes,  and  such  directions  for 
their  general  arrangements,  as  will,  if  adopted,  economize  labor, 
and  afford  facilities  for  successful  culture. 

It  is  desirable  that  the  garden  spot  be  nearly  level,  and  if 
with  a  gentle  descent  toward  the  south  or  southeast,  so  much 
the  better. 

If  convenience  and  other  considerations  permit,  it  is  very  de- 
sirable that  your  garden  be  located  upon  high  and  dry  land, 
rather  than  in  a  low  and  more  moist  spot.  In  moist  valleys, 
and  even  from  the  small  dished  hollows  in  a  lot  otherwise  level 
and  dry,  the  greater  amount  and  rapidity  of  evaporation  causes 
the  early  fall  and  late  spring  frosts,  which  so  often  injure  crops. 
They  result  from  the  operation  of  the  same  principle  upon 
which,  by  the  rapid  evaporation  of  ether,  ice  may  be  formed 
even  in  the  sunlight  of  a  summer  day.  They  "  fall  in  the  hol- 
lows," as  it  is  familiarly  expressed,  and  are  avoided  by  choosing 
an  elevated  and  dry  spot  for  the  garden. 

Should  any  one,  disliking  the  simplicity  of  the  plan  given, 
desire  to  have  his  vegetable  garden  cut  up  into  small  beds  or 
fanciful  forms,  he  will  find  it  easy  to  do  it,  or  hire  it  done  to 
his  satisfaction.  On  the  other  hand,  the  "  mechanical  prepara- 
tion" may  be  less  thorough  than  that  proposed,  the  "  protec- 
tion" omitted,  and  the  "appendages"  entirely  dispensed  with, 
and  the  garden  be  yet  made  to  yield  an  abundant  return,  if  the 
directions  in  regard  to  planting  and  culture  are  observed. 

In  form  the  garden  may  be  square,  or  nearly  so,  an  oblong 
form  perhaps  being  preferable,  of  which  the  measurement  east 
and  west  is  somewhat  greater  than  north  and  south. 

The  garden-house,  if  you  should  build  one,  with  the  other 
appendages  described  p.  26  and  onward,  should  occupy  the 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  15 

northwest  corner,  and  if  the  garden  be  not  fenced  on  the  north, 
as  directed  p.  17,  a  high,  close  fence  must  be  continued  east- 
ward from  the  garden-house,  at  least  so  far  as  may  suffice  to 
shelter  your  pit  (B),  your  cold  bed  (C),  and  your  hot  bed  (D) 
from  the  northerly  winds. 

Eastwardly  from  the  pit,  &c.,  along  the  north  fence,  a  border 
(E),  ten  or  twelve  feet  wide,  should  be  made  for  the  raising  of 
early  and  tender  vegetables,  &c.  ;  a  portion  of  it  may  also  be 
appropriated  to  early  strawberries  and  asparagus. 

To  make  it  more  suitable  for  these  purposes,  if  the  ground 
have  no  natural  descent  to  the  south,  it  should  be  made  to  slope 
by  raising  it  gradually  until  the  back  of  the  border  is  six  or 
eight  inches  higher  than  the  front.  It  must  also  be  kept  in 
the  highest  possible  condition  by  the  application  of  warm,  stim- 
ulating manures.  (See  p.  60.) 

Entirely  across  the  garden,  along  the.  front  of  this  border, 
should  extend  a  path  at  least  six  feet  wide  (H),  at  either  or 
each  end  of  which  may  be  an  entrance  (Gr,  G).  In  a  small  gar- 
den no-  other  path  will  be  found  absolutely  necessary ;  but,  if 
deemed  desirable  or  expedient,  a  border  three  or  four  feet  wide 
may  be  made  along  either  side,  or  all  the  other  sides  of  the 
garden  (F,  F,  F),  with  accompanying  paths  two  or  three  feet 
in  width  (I,  I,  I).  In  addition  to  these,  a  wider  path  may  run 
north  and  south  through  the  centre  (J).  On  either  side  of 
these  latter  paths,  and  on  the  south  side  of  the  former,  such  ar- 
ticles as  are  ordinarily  sown  in  small  beds  or  plots  may  be 
raised,  strawberry  beds  may  be  made,  and  the  various  fruit-trees 
and  bushes  which  properly  find  a  place  in  a  vegetable  garden 
may  be  planted,  the  whole  being  interspersed  with  such  flowers 
and  shrubs  as  may  suit  the  taste  of  the  owner.  The  relative 
positions  and  proportions  of  the  different  kinds  of  fruit-trees 
and  shrubbery  introduced  may  be  varied  to  suit  the  individual 
fancy,  but  the  aggregate  should  by  no  means  be  large,  if  we 
would  have  a  garden  that  will  yield  full  crops  of  choice  vegeta- 
bles. Nothing  interferes  more  with  the  free  growth  and  con- 
sequent excellence  of  vegetables  than  the  roots  of  trees  running 
in  the  same  soil,  the  effect  of  which  is  often  but  erroneously 
attributed  to  their  shade. 


H>  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

If  thought  desirable,  additional  temporary  paths  may  be 
made,  as  at  K,  K  in  the  plan,  and  edged  with  annual  herbs  or 
flowers  for  the  season.  These  are  to  be  disregarded  in  the 
spring  plowing,  and  may  be  renewed  or  not,  at  will ;  or,  if  the 
garden  is  dug  and  not  plowed  in  the  spring,  they  may  be  made 
permanent.  All  vegetables  sown  or  planted  in  the  garden, 
whether  in  rows  or  hills,  should,  if  possible,  be  ranged  north 
and  south ;  the  making  of  small  beds  in  the  main  divisions 
should  be  avoided,  and  the  rows  be  as  few  and  as  long  as  the 
arrangement  of  the  garden,  and  the  necessity  for  fully  cropping 
the  ground  will  permit.  This  will  save  much  otherwise  wasted 
labor,  and  allow  more  readily  of  advantageously  second  crop- 
ping those  portions  from  which  early  peas,  &c.,  &c.,  may  have 
been  removed  ;  and  with  a  farther  view  to  this,  crops  that  will 
mature  early  should  be  arranged  together,  so  that  as  large  a 
space  as  possible  for  recropping  may  lie  in  one  spot,  instead  of 
having  many  mere  fragments  ;  also,  all  crops  that  are  intended 
to  stand  out  over  winter  should  be  arranged  in  one  section  side 
by  side. 

All  permanent  paths  should  be  edged  either  with  box  kept 
in  order  by  an  annual  trimming  with  the  dressing- shears,  or 
with  a  narrow  strip  of  sod,  carefully  prevented  from  spreading 
by  the  use  of  the  grass-edger,  and  kept  cut  short  with  the 
grass-hook,  or  any  hardy  perennial  plant  of  dwarf  growth  that 
will  bear  the  necessary  trimming  without  injury  may  be  used 
for  this  purpose.  If  box  is  planted,  though  its  smell  is  quite 
unpleasant  to  some  persons,  open  a  trench  along  the  edge  of  the 
border  into  the  pathway  as  large  and  wide  as  the  ordinary  furrow 
of  a  two-horse  plow,  the  garden-line  being  stretched  along  the 
edge  of  the  border,  and  the  back  of  the  trench  cut  square  down 
by  it,  and  perfectly  true  to  the  line.  Old  box  edging,  which 
will  be  a  foot  or  more  long,  must  then  be  taken  and  divided  by 
tearing  it  asunder,  or  so  spreading  it  that  one  yard  will  plant 
three  or  four ;  lay  in  the  butts  across  the  trench  toward  the  cen- 
tre of  the  path,  so  that  only  one  or  two  inches  of  the  young  growth 
may  remain  above  the  line.  As  it  is  laid  in  and  held  with  the 
left  hand,  put  earth  upon  it  with  .the  right,  and  either  with 
the  knee  or  foot  press  it  solid  and  secure  to  its  place,  so  bend- 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  17 

ing  the  stems  in  the  process  as  to  bring  the  points  almost  or 
quite  upright.  After  the  whole  is  planted,  fill  up  the  trench, 
treading  the  earth  lightly  as  it  is  filled  in,  and  finish  by  a 
firm  but  shuffling  tread  along  with  one  foot  on  each  side  of  the 
newly-planted  row,  and  close  to  it.  It  should  then  be  dressed 
with  the  shears  to  an  even  height,  and  if  the  season  prove 
very  dry,  water  it  until  it  is  out  of  danger.  If  planted  in  the 
fall,  the  dressing  should  be  deferred  until  spring. 

FENCING. 

Having  determined  the  size  and  form  of  your  garden,  inclose 
it  on  the  north  and  west  sides  with  a  high,  close  board  fence, 
and  on  the  east  and  south  sides  either  with  close  fence  or 
picket. 

Hedges  combining  ornament  with  additional  protection  may 
be  planted  along  the  inside  of  these  latter  fences,  and,  if  pre- 
ferred, along  the  west  fence  also.  They  may  be  of  arborvitse, 
cedar,  cypress,  cydonia  japonica,  privet,  pepperidge,  the  buck- 
thorn, either  European  or  American,  the  Washington  thorn,  or 
the  Osage  orange ;  to  which  list  may  be  added,  for  the  warmer 
latitudes,  the  sweet  bay,  the  euonymus  japonica,  the  pomegran- 
ate, and  others.  The  common  and  honey  locusts,  though 
beautiful,  grow  too  strongly  for  this  purpose ;  and  the  haw- 
thorn, though  effective  where  security  is  the  chief  object,  is 
excluded  by  its  scalded  and  unsightly  appearance  in  the  sum- 
mer and  fall. 

In  making  young  hedges,  the  plants  may  be  set  either  in  a 
single  row  at  six  inches  apart,  or  a  foot  apart  in  a  double  row, 
and  alternated  so  that  the  actual  intervals  will  still  be  only 
six  inches  ;  and  if  the  plants  are  slightly  sloped  in  the  setting 
out,  the  growth  will  probably  thicken  sooner. 

PROTECTION. 

Whether  hedges  are  planted  or  not,  if  you  would  make  the 
thing  perfect,  unless  hills  or  woods  already  protect  it,  plant  a 
belt  consisting  of  a  double  or  triple  row,  or  more,  of  evergreens, 
of  such  varieties  as  you  may  prefer,  along  the  outside  of  the 
fence  on  the  east,  north,  and  west  sides.  Let  this  belt  over- 


18  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

lap  at  the  entrances,  so  as  to  exclude  all  winds  except  the 
southerly.  Set  the  trees  pretty  closely  together,  and  the  pro- 
tection afforded  when  they  grow  up  will  enable  you  to  sow  and 
plant  with  safety  from  one  to  two  weeks  earlier  than  would 
otherwise  be  expedient,  and  in  a  majority  of  seasons  the  ma- 
turing of  your  crops  will  be  equally  advanced.  The  birds,  too, 
your  best  friends  in  garden  or  orchard,  will  winter  with  you, 
which  friends  do  not  always,  and  be  ready  to  enter  with  you 
upon  the  labors  of  spring. 

MECHANICAL  PREPARATION. 

In  making  a  new  garden,  it  is  desirable,  if  it  be  possible,  to 
effect  whatever  mechanical  preparation  it  may  require  before 
fencing  it.  If  the  plot  selected  be  a  deep  rich  soil,  free  from 
stone,  a  thorough  and  deep  plowing  is  sufficient.  If  a  deep 
free  soil  and  subsoil,  but  not  rich,  manure  heavily  and  trench- 
plow  it.  If  the  soil  be  shallow,  and  the  subsoil  very  compact, 
or  a  hardpan,  yet  free  from  stone,  manure  heavily  and  trench- 
plow  as  directed  (page  23),  running,  however,  a  subsoil  plow 
-^ead  of  the  second  stroke,  and  following  it  with  the  same  to 
loosen  it  still  deeper,  if  you  think  expedient.  See  SUBSOIL 
PLOWING.  A  subsequent  cross  -  plowing  with  the  common 
plow,  followed  by  the  subsoiler,  will  perfect  the  preparatory 
work.  Should  the  soil  of  your  garden  plot  be  stony,  it  must 
be  trenched  at  least  eighteen  inches  deep,  and  all  stones  taken 
out  that  are  too  large  to  be  gathered  by  the  rake  in  the  course 
of  ordinary  cultivation ;  but  if  trenching  is  found  necessary,  it 
may  be  done  in  sections  at  any  time  after  the  plot  is  fenced. 
If  the  soil  of  your  plot  is  a  moderately  light  loam,  when  en- 
riched it  will  become  a  perfect  garden  soil.  If  it  be  strong 
loam,  repeated  and  high  manuring  with  stable  and  other  stim- 
ulating manure  will  steadily  improve  it.  If  it  be  heavy  loam 
or  clay,  cart  on  sand  or  road-wash  as  freely  as  you  can  from 
time  to  time,  and  manure  often  and  highly.  If,  on  the  con- 
trary, the  soil  is  sandy,  cart  on  loam  or  clay,  and  mix  it  well 
by  repeated  plowing  and  harrowing,  using  at  the  same  time 
cow  and  hog  manure,  leached  ashes,  marl,  or  swamp  muck, 
avoiding  the  use  of  barn-yard  or  stable  manure,  unless  in  com- 
post, or  when  perfectly  rotted. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 


19 


In  estimating  the  quantity  of  sand  or  its  opposite  required 
for  changing  the  mechanical  character  of  soil,  it  may  be  reck- 
oned that  247  cubic  yards  of  earth  will  cover  an  acre  to  the 
depth  of  two  inches. 


DRAINING. 

Fig.  2. 


A,  A.  The  line  of  ooze.  F,  F.   Side  drains. 

B,  B.  Diagonal  drains.  G,  G,  G,  G.  Points  of  discharge   on 

C,  Side  drain.  the  surface. 

D,  D,  D.  Points  of  discharge  on  the  H.  Blind  ditch. 

surface.  I.  Covered  stone  drain. 

E,  Double  pitch  drain.  J.  Covered  pipe  drain. 

It  is  sometimes  found  necessary  or  convenient  to  make  a 
garden  in  a  wet  spot.  In  such  a  case,  draining,  though  requir- 
ing considerable  labor,  is  indispensable. 

If  the  spot  be  a  dead  level,  in  which  it  is  only  necessary  or 
possible  to  sink  the  water  from  the  surface,  surround  your  gar- 
den on  the  outside  of  the  fence  with  an  open  ditch  of  such 


20  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

depth  and  width  as  you  may  deem  sufficient  for  the  purpose, 
always  making  the  depth  of  your  open  ditch  equal  to  its  width 
at  the  surface,  and  grading  the  sides  so  as  to  make  the  width 
of  the  bottom  equal  to  one  third  of  the  depth.  If  required,  let 
blind  ditches  or  covered  drains,  as  deep  as  the  open  ditch,  and 
discharging  into  it,  be  made  to  underlie  the  intersecting  paths, 
as  J,  J,  K,  K  in  the  garden  plan.  Upon  descending  ground,  the 
main  drains  or  blind  ditches  should  not  be  made  either  parallel 
with  the  slope  or  at  right  angles  to  it.  In  the  former  case 
they  will  be  of  little  service,  and  in  the  latter  will  be  liable  to 
stoppages  from  want  of  current,  which  may  convert  them  into 
mere  dams,  forcing  the  water  to  the  surface  at  a  lower  point. 
If,  then,  the  ground  of  your  plot  be  sloping,  and  the  water  ooz- 
ing to  the  surface,  note  carefully  the  upper  edge  of  the  line  of 
ooze  (A,  A,  Fig.  2),  which  is  simply  the  natural  drainage, 
whose  current  flows  always  in  the  direction  of  the  ground 
slope.  At  an  average  distance  of  twenty  feet  above  the  upper 
edge  of  the  ooze  cut  a  blind  ditch  or  drain  three  or  four  feet 
deep  (B  1,  Fig.  2),  running  diagonally  across  the  plot  to  the 
side  drain,  C ;  or  if  it  can  be  done  with  less  labor,  omit  the 
side  drains,  and  carry  it  outside  of  the  fence,  letting  it  dis- 
charge upon  the  surface  at  D.  This  may  either  be  doubled, 
as  B  1,  B  2,  D,  D,  or  changed  in  form,  as  E,  F,  F,  G,  G,  G,  G, 
the  latter  mode  being  especially  useful  when  the  wet  spot  is  in 
a  hollow  or  dishing  form. 

BLIND   DITCHES. 

A  blind  ditch  (H)  should  be  cut  in  the  same  form  as  above 
directed  for  the  outside  open  ditch  around  the  garden  plot ; 
when  it  is  thus  opened,  throw  in  by  hand  small  loose  surface 
stones,  say  from  one  to  ten  pounds  in  weight,  until  it  is  one 
third  or  one  half  filled  with  them  ;  over  these  lay  small  brush, 
or  shavings,  or  straw,  or  sod  with  the  grass  side  down,  and  fill 
up  with  the  earth  that  came  out,  rounding  it  a  little  directly 
over  the  drain  to  prevent  surface  water  settling  into  it  while 
the  work  is  fresh. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  21 


COVERED  DRAINS. 

These  are  formed  by  setting  flat  stones  edgewise  along  each 
side  in  the  ditch,  and  fitting  a  covering  of  the  same  to  rest 
upon  them.  Over  this  hollow  drain,  stones,  such  as  are  suita- 
ble for  blind  ditches,  may  be  thrown,  so  far  as  seems  conven- 
ient or  desirable,  the  whole  being  covered  with  the  earth  and 
rounded  as  above  directed  for  the  blind  ditch,  thus  combining 
the  advantages  of  both  forms  of  draining  (I).  The  ditch  for  a 
covered  drain  need  not  be  cut  so  wide  at  the  surface  as  an  open 
or  a  blind  ditch,  but  may  have  the  sides  nearly  perpendicular ; 
and  where  flat  stones  can  not  be  readily  obtained,  the  drain- 
pipes or  tiles  made  by  the  potters  may  be  used  (J). 

PLOWING. 

The  plow  and  harrow,  wherever  it  is  practicable  to  use  them, 
are  the  most  efiicient  known  instruments  in  the  proper  prepa- 
ration of  the  soil  for  the  reception  of  seeds  or  plants.  Much 
has  been  said  and  written  to  demonstrate  the  superiority  of  the 
spade,  but  it  has  not  come  into  general  use  as  a  substitute,  and 
is  now  less  likely  than  ever  to  do  so.  Repeated  deep,  narrow- 
sliced  plowing  and  thorough  harrowing  are,  beyond  question  or 
comparison,  the  best  means  that  we  possess  for  thoroughly  pul- 
verizing the  soil,  and  so  reducing  its  particles  as  to  prepare 
them  to  enter  into  the  composition  of  plants.  How  to  plow 
well  must  be  learned.  Happy  the  youth  who,  to  his  other 
learning,  willingly  adds  this.  Plowing  should  be  performed 
when  the  earth  will  crumble  as  it  is  turned  up.  The  old 
Roman  maxim,  "Plow  stripped,  sow  stripped,"  is  a  good, 
though  not  an  absolute  rule.  Fall  plowing,  either  plain  or 
ridged,  may  be  done  without  injury,  even  though  the  ground 
be  pretty  wet  and  the  weather  cold,  the  frosts  of  winter  coun- 
teracting the  ill  effect  that  in  other  circumstances  would  re- 
sult. But  the  cultivator  who  in  spring  turns  up  a  wet,  smooth, 
heavy  furrow-slice  to  the  bright,  strong  sun,  will  find  his  sea- 
son's labor  largely  increased  or  his  crop  a  failure. 

Plowing  should  be  performed  with  a  strong  team.  On  all 
good  soils,  and  especially  in  a  garden,  it  should  be  from  twelve 


22  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

to  fifteen  inches  deep.  What  is  called  "  cut  and  cover"  plow- 
ing must  be  carefully  avoided.  The  furrow- slice  should  be 
narrow,  not  much  exceeding  two  thirds  the  width  from  the  fore 
end  of  the  land-side  to  the  outer  corner  of  the  share.  It  should 
not  be  laid  over  quite  flat,  but  at  an  angle  of  about  forty-five 
degrees,  which,  for  the  benefit  of  very  young  readers  I  remark, 
is  represented  by  each  pair  of  lines  radiating  from  the  centre 
of  this  star  ^-.  No  care  need  be  taken  in  plowing  to  fill  any 
irregular  holes  that  may  happen  to  remain,  nor  effort  of  any 
kind  made  to  help  the  plow  perform  its  work,  unless  it  be  to 
foot  over  an  obstinate  tussock  or  sod.  Smoothness  is  not  an 
excellence  in  plowing.  The  land  so  plowed  should  be  left  for 
a  time  in  its  rough  state,  open  to  the  influence  of  the  sun  and 
air ;  when,  after  thorough  harrowing,  it  may  be  re-plowed  or 
dug,  as  may  be  found  suitable  for  the  particular  crop. 

HARROWING. 

Harrowing  should  be  done  after  the  land  has  lain  plowed  a 
week  or  more,  as  it  may  require,  and,  if  practicable,  when  the 
surface  soil  is  not  dusty,  but  only  moderately  dry  and  perfectly 
friable.  The  "  trituration"  and  reduction  of  the  soil  by  the 
harrow  will  be  more  perfect  when  in  this  state  than  if  quite 
dry ;  and  if  it  should  be  wet,  the  harrowing  must  not  be  done 
except  under  a  pressing  necessity. 

The  first  stroke  of  the  harrow  should  always  be  "  with,"  or 
in  the  same  direction  as  the  furrow ;  the  subsequent  strokes 
crossing  it  and  each  other  at  right  angles,  or  obliquely,  until 
the  work  is  satisfactorily  done. 

RIDGING. 

Ridging  is  performed  with  the  common  plow  by  throwing 
two  furrows,  together,  which  thus  meet  upon  and  overlap  a 
space  about  as  wide  as  each  of  them ;  or  with  the  spade,  by 
digging  the  two  furrows,  and  laying  the  earth  up  in  ridge  form 
upon  the  intervening  space.  In  very  light  soils,  which,  how- 
ever, should  never  be  ridged  for  winter,  or  in  the  preparation 
of  plowed  land  for  crop  ridging,  the  work  is  sometimes  done  by 
the  use  of  a  large  and  pretty  strong  double-mould  plow,  which 
seems  to  save  half  the  labor,  but  seldom  does  its  work  well. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  23 

Strong  loam  or  clay  land,  which,  if  plowed  or  dug  in  the 
fall  and  laid  flat,  might  be  injured  rather  than  benefited,  is 
greatly  improved  by  careful  ridging  for  winter,  particularly  if 
lime,  ashes,  or  manure,  or  all  of  them,  be  previously  applied,  and 
are  covered  up  or  incorporated  in  the  process  of  ridging. 

SUBSOIL  PLOWING. 

In  subsoil  plowing,  a  deep  furrow  turned  with  the  common 
plow  is  followed  by  another  in  the  same  track  with  the  subsoil 
plow  (Fig.  17,  p.  39),  which,  being  without  mouldboards,  simply 
loosens  the  subsoil  without  throwing  it  up  to  the  surface.  The 
convenient  and  obvious  mode  of  performing  it  is  to  have  two 
teams,  the  one  with  the  subsoiler  following  the  other  in  its 
rounds. 

The  depth  of  the  two  furrows  may  easily  reach  eighteen 
inches. 

TRENCH  PLOWING. 

Trench  plowing  is  performed  by  two  teams  following  one  an- 
other, as  in  subsoiling,  but  with  common  mouldboard  plows,  the 
mouldboard  of  the  last,  or  trench-furrow  plow,  being  generally 
somewhat  longer  than  the  first.  It  may,  however,  be  well  done 
with  a  good  plow  and  one  team,  by  simply  plowing  first  to  the 
depth  of  nine  or  ten  inches,  and  repeating  the  stroke  in  the 
same  furrow  with  longer  gearing.  It  should  be  done  with  a 
steady  team,  and  the  plow  be  driven  as  deeply  as  two  strokes  in 
the  same  furrow  can  be  made  to  carry  it. 

TRENCHING. 

Trenching  may  be  performed  on  a  small  or  large  plot  with 
equal  proportionate  convenience.  If,  therefore,  it  is  found  nec- 
essary to  the  proper  preparation  of  the  garden  plot,  it  may  be 
deferred  until  the  fencing  is  completed,  or  even  be  done  gradu- 
ally through  a  series  of  years,  after  the  garden  is  used. 

It  consists  simply  in  marking  off  from  the  end  or  side  of  any 
given  field  or  piece  of  land  of  even  width  a  strip,  say  two  feet 
wide,  and  digging  it  out,  and  carting  it  or  wheeling  it  to  the 
opposite  end  or  side,  where  it  must  be  laid  in  a  row  all  along, 


24  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

that  it  may  be  ready  to  fill  up  the  last  trench  at  the  completion 
of  the  job,  the  earth  that  comes  from  the  bottom  layer  or  layers 
being  dumped  in  a  separate  ridge,  a  little  beyond  that  taken 
from  the  surface,  so  that  the  latter  may  be  conveniently  put  first 
into  the  bottom  of  the  last  trench. 

If  the  depth  proposed  be  eighteen  inches,  let  the  spade  be 
driven  full  ten  inches  deep  in  taking  off  the  first  layer ;  then, 
with  a  good  sharp  shovel,  let  the  "  crumbs"  or  loose  earth  be 
taken  out,  cutting  the  bottom  a  little  as  you  go,  which  will 
deepen  the  trench  another  inch  ;  then  dig  another  spade-length 
deep,  and  the  work  is  done. 

If,  however,  the  subsoil  is  so  hard  that  the  second  layer  can 
not  be  dug  out  with  the  spade,  the  pick  and  shovel  must  be 
used,  and  if  the  necessary  depth  can  not  be  attained  by  one  op- 
eration with  these  implements,  it  must  be  repeated. 

Having  this  first  trench  completed,  another  equal  space  is 
marked  off,  and  another,  and  another,  to  the  end,  the  earth  from 
each  being  regularly  turned  over  into  the  excavation  that  pre- 
ceded it,  by  a  precise  repetition  of  the  process  of  digging  and 
shoveling  above  described,  the  surface-earth  being  thrown  into 
the  bottom  of  the  trench,  and  the  lower  stratum  on  the  top  of 
it,  with  some  care  to  keep  the  side  of  the  loose  earth  laid  up 
square,  and  the  top  of  the  new  layer  nearly  level,  until  you 
come  to  that  which  was  carted  back,  which  fills  up  and  finishes 
the  whole. 

By  this  operation  the  body  of  earth  is  more  completely  turned 
upside  down  than  is  possible  in  plowing ;  and  in  the  process 
stones  can  be  thoroughly  gathered  out,  and  any  desired  quan- 
tity of  manure  may  be  mixed  in  by  spreading  it  upon  the  suc- 
cessive layers  after  they  are  turned  into  the  trench.  If  the 
soil  is  really  poor,  this  should  not,  on  any  account,  be  neglected. 

DIGGING. 

In  certain  circumstances  we  must  resort  to  digging  instead 
of  plowing,  and  in  the  garden,  particularly,  it  is  almost  exclu- 
sively used  in  the  preparation  of  the  ground,  or  in  working  be- 
tween certain  crops  in  wide  rows.  It  is  performed  with  the 
spade  (Fig.  37,  p.  48),  or  a  strong  fork  made  for  the  purpose,  and 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  25 

called  a  spade-fork  (Fig.  50,  p.  54).  The  depth  of  digging,  in 
experienced  hands,  seldom  exceeds  ten  inches,  and  the  inexpe- 
rienced will  rarely  go  so  deep.  A  careless  digger  will  some- 
times make  the  thickness  of  his  spade-slice  equal  to  its  depth, 
and,  in  consequence,  will  very  imperfectly  move  much  of  the 
lower  portion  of  it.  As  a  general  rule,  let  the  thickness  of  the 
slice  be  equal  to  half  the  length  of  the  blade  you  use,  and  the 
work  will  probably  be  well  done. 

If  the  handle  of  the  implement  used  be  not  too  long  (Fig.  37, 
p.  48),  digging  affords  perhaps  the  very  perfection  of  bodily  ex- 
ercise for  the  convalescing  invalid  or  the  dyspeptic.  It  gives 
exercise  to  the  chest  and  abdomen,  and  calls  almost  every  mus- 
cle of  the  body  into  action,  yet  is  so  entirely  measurable  in  its 
degree  that  it  may  become  the  amusement  of  a  child  or  a  task 
for  a  strong  man. 

,  As  with  the  plow,  so  with  the  spade,  land  may  be  properly 
dug  or  ridged  in  the  fall,  even  though  it  be  pretty  wet.  But 
in  the  spring  the  earth  should  not  be  dug  when  the  surface  is 
wet,  nor  until,  on  being  turned  up,  the  body  of  the  soil  is  found 
friable.  The  first  spring  digging  in  the  garden  should  be 
roughly  but  effectually  done,  no  care  being  taken  to  break  it  up 
smaller  than  "  egg  coal"  or  "  rubble."  After  lying  in  this 
state  till  it  is  warmed  through,  it  will  be  found  an  advantage 
to  "  chop  it  over"  as  deeply  as  possible,  either  with  the  hoe  or 
potato-hook.  It  may  then  be  roughly  raked  preparatory  to  the 
second  digging,  or,  if  it  be  clear  of  stones  and  bad  weed-roots, 
this  raking  may  be  omitted. 

When  dug  a  second  time,  in  preparation  for  the  seed  or 
plants,  let  the  digging  be  more  carefully  performed,  and  the 
soil  well  pulverized  in  the  process.  If  afterward,  from  the  oc- 
currence of  sudden  beating  rain,  or  other  cause,  it  seem  desira- 
ble to  repeat  the  operation  of  chopping  over,  let  it  be  done,  and 
having  given  it  a  finish  with  the  rake,  it  will  be  ready  for  sow- 
ing or  planting. 

B 


26  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


CHAPTER  H. 

Appendages. — Garden-house,  Pit,  Frame,  Cold  Bed,  Hot  Bed,  &c. 

APPENDAGES. 
GARDEN-HOUSE. 

A  SMALL  garden-house,  say  twelve  feet  wide  by  twelve  or 
eighteen  feet  long,  with  earthen  floor,  is  a  convenient  and  de- 
sirable appendage  to  the  garden,  for  storing  garden-pots,  com- 
post for  choice  plants,  and  tools  when  not  in  use.  It  serves 
also  for  various  purposes  of  in-door  work,  as  repairing  imple- 
ments, potting  plants,  sowing  in  pots  when  desirable,  preparing 
cuttings,  &c.  If  built  in  the  garden,  which  it  ought  to  be,  it 
should  be  so  placed  as  to  form  the  northwest  corner  of  the  in- 
closure,  having  a  shuttered  window  or  two  to  the  south  and 
north,  and  a  door  in  the  east  end.  Inside,  a  work-bench  should 
run  almost  or  quite  along  the  front  or  south  side.  On  the 
right,  near  the  door,  should  be  fixed  a  bar  or  slat,  upon  which 
to  hang  rakes,  hooks,  and  hoes ;  also  nails  or  pins  for  thrust- 
hoes,  spades,  &c.  A  few  shelves  along  the  back,  for  such  pur- 
poses as  they  may  be  found  to  serve,  will  complete  the  internal 
arrangement. 

The  garden-house,  though  convenient,  is  not  indispensable, 
if  a  cellar  or  any  of  the  ordinary  out-buildings  can  be  used  in- 
stead. On  the  other  hand,  if  built,  it  may  be  furnished  with  a 
cellar  for  storing  fruits  and  vegetables,  and  a  frost-proof  dark 
room  for  choice  pears,  &c. 

PIT. 

The  pit  is  a  sunken  frame-work,  covered  with  glass,-  protected 
by  shutters  or  mats,  but  without  artificial  heat,  and  may  be  of 
wood,  brick,  or  stone. 

To  make  a  pit  for  three  sashes,  such  as  are  commonly  known 
as  hot-bed  sashes,  choose  a  spot  that  will  enable  you  to  front  it 
to  the  south  or  southeast.  Dig  out  the  earth  about  six  feet 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  27 

wide  and  ten  feet  long  to  a  uniform  depth  of  eighteen  inches ; 
within  this  make  a  frame  of  thick  plank,  or  slabs  hewed  to  fit 
close,  and  nailed  firmly  to  locust  or  chestnut  posts.  These 
posts  should  be  three  and  a  half  feet  long  for  the  back,  and  two 
and  a  half  feet  long  for  the  front  of  the  frame,  thus  allowing  it 
a  slope  of  one  foot,  to  which,  of  course,  the  ends  must  suit.  Its 
inside  width,  when  completed,  will  be  about  five  feet,  and  its 
length  about  nine  feet.  Pack  the  earth  lightly  around  it,  tak- 
ing care  to  keep  the  frame  at  right  angles ;  then,  with  a  draw- 
ing-knife and  plane,  finish  the  upper  edges  of  the  whole  with  a 
smooth,  even  slope.  Prepare  two  cross-bars  or  slides  for  the 
sashes  to  run  on,  made  of  two  strips  of  stout  plank,  three  inches 
in  width,  each  having  along  its  centre  a  thin  strip  of  the  same 
width  nailed  firmly  edgewise,  to  serve  as  a  sash-guide ;  nail  a 
corresponding  strip  on  the  outside  of  each  end  plank  to  serve  a 
similar  purpose,  the  ends  themselves  serving  as  slides.  Hav- 
ing measured  off  the  frame  accurately  into  three  divisions  of 
equal  width  in  the  clear,  notch  or  dovetail  the  plank  cross- 
bars or  slides  into  the  frame  flush  with  its  back  and  front  edges, 
carefully  preserving  the  proper  width  of  the  divisions,  so  that 
each  sash,  when  put  on,  will  lie  perfectly  fair  and  snug  in  its 
place.  Immediately  underneath  each  of  the  two  cross-bars,  and 
fitting  closely  up  to  them,  you  may,  if  you  please,  set  a  rough 
plank  or  board  partition,  thus  dividing  the  pit  into  three  sepa- 
rate compartments.  The  packing  of  the  earth  around  the  frame 
may  now  be  more  thoroughly  done,  and,  as  a  protection  against 
some  degree  of  cold,  bank  earth  thickly  around  the  pit  up  to 
within  an  inch  or  two  of  the  edge  of  the  frame,  treading  or 
beating  it  as  you  go  to  make  it  solid,  and  sloping  the  bank 
carefully  so  as  to  shed  water.-  This  done,  fit  on  your  sashes 
properly,  and  cover  them  with  board  shutters  or  thick  straw 
mats  (see  p.  37),  or  both,  and  your  pit  is  ready. 

As  the  pit  is  calculated  to  be  a  permanent  appendage  to  the 
garden,  it  is  plain  that  brick  or  stone  is  greatly  to  be  preferred 
for  making  it.  If  laid  up  dry  with  common  farm  stone,  and 
well  pointed  or  plastered,  it  will  last  a  lifetime ;  but  in  this 
case,  or  if  built  of  brick,  it  will  require  a  frame  or  plates  for  the 
sashes,  which  may  be  made  of  good  three  or  four  by  six  inch 


28  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

pine  timber,  well  set  in  mortar  upon  the  walls,  and  thoroughly 
painted. 

A  pit  is  intended  to  serve  as  a  place  for  wintering  half  hardy 
and  even  tender  plants,  and  for  blooming  roses  and  other  flowers 
earlier  and  later  in  the  season  than  would  be  practicable  in  the 
open  ground.  For  these  purposes,  the  pit  may  be  partially 
filled  with  leaves  from  the  woods,  tan,  sawdust,  sand,  or  spent 
manure  well  pulverized.  If  the  pit  is  too  deep  for  the  plants, 
so  much  filling  must  be  used  as  is  needful  to  bring  their  tops 
to  within  ten  or  twelve  inches  of  the  glass,  the  pots  being 
packed  or  set  thoroughly  into  it.  A  pit  thus  filled  should  have 
light,  and  a  little  air  admitted  about  noon  of  every  bright  win- 
ter day  that  is  not  too  intensely  cold  to  permit  it  with  safety, 
increasing  the  amount  of  these  as  the  mild  days  of  early 
spring  come  on,  until  it  becomes  safe  to  uncover  it  entirely  to 
the  vernal  showers.  It  should  be  occasionally  examined 
through  the  winter,  and  defended  against  mice,  which  are  apt 
to  nest  in  it. 

When  divided  into  compartments,  as  above  suggested,  the 
pit  may  readily  be  put  to  various  uses.  In  one  of  these  the 
spring  hot  bed  may  be  made  more  easily  and  with  less  manure 
than  when  made  in  the  common  mode.  For  this  purpose  the 
manure  should  be  evenly  and  solidly  laid,  as  directed  for  hot 
beds,  p.  30,  to  the  depth  of  eighteen  or  twenty  inches,  which 
being  covered  with  the  usual  depth  of  rich  earth,  will  bring  up 
the  surface  sufficiently  near  to  the  glass  and  into  the  sunlight. 
If  two  compartments  are  used  for  hot  beds,  the  additional  ad- 
vantage is  gained  of  being  able  to  classify  your  plants,  sowing 
the  hardier  varieties,  as  cabbages,  salad,  &c.,  in  the  one,  and  in 
the  other  the  tenderer,  as  pepper,  egg-plant,  &c.,  which  require 
greater  warmth  and  more  careful  treatment.  (See  Hot  Bed.) 
One  or  more  compartments  of  a  pit  may,  if  found  desirable,  be 
used  as  a  "  cold  bed,"  requiring  only  to  be  filled  up  with  rich 
earth  or  compost  to  a  little  higher  than  the  natural  surface  of 
the  ground,  and  then  treated  in  all  respects  as  directed  p.  29. 

GARDEN-FRAME. 

The  garden-frame  is  usually  made  of  inch  and  a  half  plank, 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  29 

Fig.  3.  eighteen  inches  deep  at  the  back,  and 

nine  inches  at  the  front,  the  ends  be- 
ing gradually  sloped  to  suit.  A  con- 
venient width  is  about  five  and  a  half 
feet,  though  this  may  vary.  The 
frame  is  divided  by  cross-bars  three 
inches  wide,  notched  into  the  upper 
edges  of  the  back  and  front  of  the  frame  at  say  three  feet  one 
inch  apart  from  centre  to  centre,  with  a  thin  centre-board  or 
sash-guide  standing  edgewise,  from  an  inch  and  a  half  to  three 
inches  high,  along  each,  the  two  ends  of  the  frame  having 
strips  nailed  on  to  serve  the  purpose,  as  directed  for  pit,  p.  27. 
Frames  are  sometimes  made  to  hold  three  or  four  sashes,  but 
it  is  more  convenient  to  handle  those  made  for  only  two,  sev- 
eral pairs  of  which  can  be  set  together,  if  a  longer  bed  is  re- 
quired. 

The  frame  is  carefully  and  strongly  nailed  together,  or  each 
part  is  cleated  at  the  corners,  and  drawn  closely  together  with 
hooks  or  links  and  staples,  so  as  to  be  readily  taken  apart. 

To  suit  the  dimensions  of  the  frame  named  above,  the  sashes, 
which  should  be  of  inch  and  a  half  stuff,  require  to  be  about 
five  feet  nine  inches  long  and  three  feet  wide,  having  either 
five  rows  of  six-inch  glass  or  six  rows  of  five-inch,  in  either 
case  each  sash  containing  about  fifteen  feet  of  glass.  This 
should  be  of  good  quality,  flat,  and  strong,  and  in  the  process 
of  glazing  the  panes  should  overlap  as  little  as  possible,  say 
one  fourth  of  an  inch  at  the  most ;  or,  if  the  glass  be  of  superior 
make,  the  width  of  the  lap  need  not  exceed  the  thickness  of 
the  pane. 

The  garden-frame  so  made  and  sashed  is  used  to  form  of 
itself  a  cold  bed,  or  to  place  upon  a  hot  bed  for  the  purpose  of 
raising  early  plants,  &c. 

COLD  BED. 

A  cold  bed  is  made  by  simply  setting  a  garden-frame  (Fig. 
3,  above)  in  a  favorable  spot  for  your  purpose,  whetner  you 
desire  sun  or  shade ;  or  it  may  be  stationary,  and  provision 
made  for  shading  it  at  will.  For  winter  protection  it  should 


30  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

be  banked  around  as  directed  for  the  pit  (page  27),  and  is  used 
for  the  same  general  purposes  where  depth  is  not  required. 

HOT   BED. 

Take  fresh  stable  manure  that  is  ready  to  heat  or  already 
4.  heating,  and  spread  a  thin 

layer  of  it  upon  the  ground, 
of  the  size  and  form  of  the 
bed  you  wish  to  make,  cal- 
culating this  always  full  one 
foot  longer  and  wider  than 
the  frame  you  intend  to  set 
upon  it.  On  this  spread 
other  layers,  mixing  the 
long  and  short  manure  to- 
gether, and  shaking  it  perfectly  out  of  all  large  lumps  or  bunch- 
es in  the  process.  Keep  it  equally  packed  and  level  by  beating 
it  over  regularly,  but  not  heavily,  with  the  back  of  your  four- 
pronged  fork  at  about  every  third  layer,  filling  up  any  soft 
spots  or  hollows  you  find. 

Keep  the  edges  true  and  the  corners  firm,  and  when  it  at- 
tains the  desired  height,  shovel  up  the  loose  fine  manure  around, 
and  spread  it  evenly  over  the  top.  Set  on  your  garden-frame 
with  care,  and  fill  in  with  rich  earth,  not  throwing  it  in  heav- 
ily or  in  heaps,  but  spreading  it  lightly  and  evenly  to  the  depth 
of  four  or  five  inches.  Rake  the  surface,  sow  your  seeds  in 
drills  about  four  inches  apart,  and  put  on  the  sashes.  Some 
defer  sowing  until  the  bed  heats,  but  it  may  be  safely  sown  at 
once  ;  and  when  the  heat  rises  give  plenty  of  air,  not  by  sliding 
your  sashes  down,  but  by  raising  them  at  the  back,  having  a 
longish  triangular  block  or  piece  of  plank  to  tilt  them  upon,  so 
that  you  can  open  them  with  it  two  inches  or  five. 

In  sowing  your  hot  bed,  let  peppers,  egg-plant,  and  other 
tender  plants  be  sown  together  or  under  the  same  sashes,  and 
cabbages,  lettuces,  &c.,  under  others,  so  that  they  can  receive 
more  or  less  airing  as  they  may  require  ;  or  set  a  thin  board,  as 
a  temporary  partition,  between  them,  under  the  cross-bar  of  the 
frame.  Shade  the  bed  until  the  plants  are  well  up,  and  water 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  31 

regularly,  but  not  heavily,  toward  evening,  with  water  that  has 
been  warmed  in  the  sun  or  by  the  fire — say  to  the  temperature 
of  fresh-drawn  milk — and  cover  the  sashes  at  night  with  shut- 
ters, and  bass  or  straw  mats,  or  other  sufficient  covering. 

Give  air  abundantly,  but  never  suddenly,  throughout  the  time 
your  plants  remain  in  the  bed,  uncovering  them  entirely  during 
the  day  and  in  mild  nights  for  a  week  or  ten  days  before  they 
are  set  out.  If  you  pot  your  plants,  or  transfer  them  to  a  sec- 
ond hot  bed,  the  treatment  should  be  the  same.  The  ordinary 
time  for  making  hot  beds  near  New  York  is  from  the  middle 
of  February  to  the  middle  of  March  ;  but  the  proper  time  can 
be  calculated  any  where  by  making  the  hot  bed  from  six  to 
eight  weeks  before  the  plants  are  needed  to  set  out. 

CISTERN. 

Wherever  it  is  found  necessary  or  desirable  to  have  the  ap- 
pendages to  the  garden  complete  within  itself,  a  cistern  of  such 
size  as  may  be  deemed  suitable  should  be  constructed  in  the 
ordinary  manner,  to  receive  the  water  from  the  garden-house 
or  any  neighboring  out-building.  Its  dimensions  may  be  six 
feet  deep  and  five  feet  diameter,  or  nearly  900  gallons  capacity  ; 
or  eight  feet  deep  and  six  feet  diameter,  which  will  hold  about 
1600  gallons  ;  or  larger  if  preferred.  A  cheap  and  yet  durable 
cistern  may  be  made  with  the  aid  of  an  ordinary  workman  by 
digging  a  hole  of  the  necessary  size,  covering  the  whole  bottom 
with  a  thick  layer  of  small  stones,  filled  in,  or  rather  mixed, 
with  hydraulic  mortar,  prepared  for  use  in  the  ordinary  man- 
ner— that  is,  allowing  two  barrels  of  sand  to  each  barrel  of 
first-rate  cement,  and  packing  them  solidly  with  a  rammer. 
Upon  the  floor  thus  prepared  set  a  rough  plank  frame,  such  as 
is  often  used  in  well-digging  to  prevent  caving  in,  but  leaving 
a  space  sufficient  for  the  cistern- walls  between  the  frame  and 
the  surrounding  earth,  and  brace  the  frame  thoroughly  on  the 
inside. 

Having  provided  a  supply  of  rough  stone,  such  as  are  com- 
monly gathered  by  hand  from  the  lots  or  road  sides,  proceed  to 
fill  up  the  wall -space  around  the  frame  with  them  in  regular 
layers,  mixed,  like  the  bottom,  with  hydraulic  mortar,  and 


32  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

rammed  moderately,  but  so  as  to  make  it  solid.  Each  layer 
should  be  carried  entirely  around  the  frame  before  ramming, 
care  being  taken  to  ram  evenly,  that  the  pressure  on  the  frame 
may  be  kept  equal ;  and  the  whole  work  should  be  done  as  rap- 
idly as  possible,  mixing  the  mortar  in  small  quantities  as  want- 
ed, that  the  settling  and  drying  may  be  uniform.  In  the 
course  of  ten  days  remove  the  frame- work,  plaster  the  whole 
thoroughly  with  cement  mortar,  made  with  one  third  sand  and 
two  thirds  cement,  and  finish  the  whole  by  putting  on  the  top. 
Should  leaks  occur  subsequently,  they  may  be  stopped  by  a 
coat  of  thin  cement,  laid  on  with  a  whitewash-brush. 

ICE-HOUSE. 

An  ice-house  for  family  supply  may  be  made  of  the  same 
size  and  in  the  same  manner  as  a  cistern,  having  a  draining- 
floor  formed  of  rough  joists  or  plank,  under  or  between  which 
a  few  inches  open  space  is  left  at  the  bottom  when  the  ice  is 
put  in,  with  a  waste-pipe  leading  from  it,  having  a  plug  by 
which  it  may  be  closed  at  its  outer  end.  Or  it  may  be  built 
in  a  dry  soil  as  a  small  cellar,  with  the  above  provision  for 
drainage,  and  be  closely  covered  by  setting  a  roof  or  building 
over  it.  Or  it  may,  if  preferred,  be  built  entirely  above  ground, 
with  double  siding  of  boards  or  slabs,  the  space  between  being 
packed  as  directed  for  green-house,  which  see. 

It  should  be  substantially  braced,  and  provided  with  an  in- 
ner and  outer  door ;  the  space  between  these,  together  with  the 
whole  roof  or  floor  covering  it,  in  whatever  manner  it  is  built, 
should  also  be  packed  as  directed  for  the  sides.  The  draining- 
floor  being  first  thickly  covered  with  straw,  the  ice  may  be  set 
in  snugly  in  blocks,  the  spaces  between  them  being  filled  with 
the  fragments  rammed  solidly  in ;  or,  if  thin  ice  is  used,  the 
whole  may  be  broken  up  and  rammed,  water  being  added  from 
time  to  time  to  fill  the  crevices  by  its  freezing  ;  the  mass  must 
be  kept  a  little  raised  in  the  middle  as  the  filling  progresses, 
and  the  sides  should  be  lined  with  straw  set  upright.  When 
it  is  completed,  the  whole  must  be  thickly  covered  with  the 
same,  or  with  sawdust,  or  salt  hay,  and  kept  securely  closed 
until  the  ice  is  wanted.  Not  less  than  from  forty  to  fifty 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  33 

loads  or  cubic  yards  of  ice  should  be  relied  on  to  keep  well  in 
a  house  built  entirely  above  ground.  In  the  cellar  or  cistern 
form  a  much  smaller  quantity  may  be  preserved ;  but  in  all 
cases,  the  larger  the  aggregate  mass,  the  better  it  will  keep. 

TANK. 

A  tank  sufficient  for  the  purposes  of  a  small  garden  may  be 
made  by  sinking  a  water-tight  tierce  or  hogshead  into  the 
ground,  and  covering  it  safely,  having  first  pitched  it  within 
and  without.  For  larger  gardens,  or  where  a  more  permanent 
tank  is  desired,  it  should  be  built  in  the  same  manner  as  a 
small,  shallow  cistern,  having  a  sufficient  opening  to  allow  of 
stirring  the  contents  or  adding  to  them,  but  which  ordinarily 
must  be  closely  covered. 

For  the  purposed  stirring,  it  will  be  found  very  convenient, 
and  not  expensive,  to  set  in  the  centre  of  the  tank  a  shaft  fur- 
nished within  the  tank  with  two  or  three  pairs  of  arms  nearly 
equal  to  its  diameter.  The  upper  end  of  the  shaft  should  pro- 
ject four  or  five  feet  above  the  cover,  and  having  a  two-inch 
hole  through  it  near  the  top,  the  contents  of  the  tank  may  be 
easily  stirred  by  turning  it  with  a  small  bar.  Into  this  tank 
the  soap-suds  and  other  waste  water  from  the  house  should  be 
conveyed,  for  the  preparation  of  liquid  manure,  if  needful.  See 
page  64. 

WHEELBARROWS. 
Fig.  5.  Fig.  6. 


Canal  Wheelbarrow.  Box  Wheelbarrow. 


The  common  canal  wheelbarrow,  Fig.  5,  is  very  much  to  be 
preferred  for  general  purposes,  though  in  most  gardens  the  box 
form,  with  loose  sides,  Fig.  6,  or  something  nearly  similar,  is 
still  generally  used. 

B2 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


GARDEN  ENGINE,  WATERING-POT,  AND  SYRINGE. 
Fig.  7.  Fig.  8. 


Garden  Engine. 


Watering-pot. 


Fig.  9. 


Syringe. 

The  garden  engine,  Fig.  7,  is  a  small  force-pump,  with  a  pipe 
or  hose  of  any  desired  and  suitable  length,  placed  in  a  barrel  or 
water-tight  box}  and  fitted  upon  a  wheeled  frame  for  the  con- 
venience of  removal  at  will  to  any  part  of  the  garden.  It  is 
used  instead  of  watering-pot  and  syringe. 

The  watering-pot,  Fig.  8,  requires  no  description.  It  is 
used  with  or  without  the  rose,  and  a  convenient  size  for  use 
will  hold  about  twelve  quarts. 

The  syringe,  Fig.  9,  is  commonly  of  brass,  having  a  small, 
delicately  perforated  rose  (a),  without  which  it  is  seldom  or 
never  used.  It  is  calculated  chiefly  for  syringing  plants  in  the 
green-house,  &c.,  which  would  otherwise  suffer  from  the  dry  heat. 

HAND   AND  BELL  GLASSES. 

Hand  glasses,  Fig.  10,  A,  B,  are  made  of  various  dimen- 
sions, from  six  to  eighteen  inches  in  diameter,  or  larger,  and 
of  divers  forms,  being  square  or  many  angled,  conical  or  flat, 
deep  or  shallow.  The  frames  are  usually  lead,  sometimes 
strengthened  by  an  iron  bottom  band,  and  the  glass  and  glaz- 
ing are  ordinarily  of  the  first  quality.  A  small  hinged  venti- 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


35 


Fig.  11. 


Bell-glass. 
Hand  Glasses.— A,  square ;  13,  octagon. 

lator  (e,  c)  is  sometimes  made  in  the  top,  which,  with  a  slight 
tilting  of  the  lower  edge,  permits  of  airing  the  plants  without 
uncovering  them.  They  are  used  for  covering  newly- sown  and 
delicate  seeds,  and  newly-made  cuttings,  to  prevent  too  rapid 
evaporation,  or  for  protecting  tender  hilled  crops,  as  early  mel- 
ons, cucumbers,  egg-plants,  &c. 

Their  general  purposes,  particularly  for  hilled  crops,  may  be 
answered  by  an  oblong  or  square  wooden  box,  with  a  slight 
pitch  to  its  upper  end,  over  or  into  which  a  single  large  pane  of 
glass  is  made  to  slide  in  small  side  grooves,  so  that  it  may  be 
opened  at  pleasure,  forming,  in  fact,  a  miniature  garden-frame. 

Bell-glasses,  Fig.  11,  are  used  for  the  same  general  purposes 
as  small  hand-glasses,  viz.,  to  hasten  and  secure  the  vegetation 
of  seeds  of  special  character,  and,  in  case  of  certain  cuttings 
which  do  not  root  readily,  to  prevent  exhaustion  before  they 
become  prepared  to  obtain  new  supplies.  They  are  not  glazed, 
but  blown,  and  sometimes  need^watching  and  shading,  lest  their 
concave  surface  become  a  burning-glass  to  the  young  plants 
they  cover. 

SIEVES. 

Sieves  are  distin- 
guished by  the  number 
of  meshes  woven  to  the 
inch. 

The  opposite  figures 
represent  Numbers  1 
and  2,  or  inch  and  half-inch  mesh,  which  are  the  only  sizes 
needed  in  the  garden  or  green-house ;  and  even  these  may  be 
well  dispensed  with,  unless  in  extraordinary  cases,  as  where 


A,  i  inch  mesh  sieve  ;  B,  1  inch  mesh  sieve. 


36  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

stones  abound  in  flower  compost,  or  for  the  purpose  of  reducing 
and  mixing  guano  or  other  powerful  manures. 

In  the  preparation  of  compost  in  general,  it  is  much  better 
to  mix  and  reduce  the  materials  with  the  spade  or  shovel  than 
with  the  sieve,  which  takes  out  the  small  lumps  that,  to  most 
plants,  are  the  very  "  tit-bits"  upon  which  their  roots  fasten. 

For  the  purpose  of  cleaning  flower-seeds,  &c.,  at  least  two 
small  sieves,  of  about  a  foot  diameter,  will  be  found  useful ; 
one  should  be  No.  12,  and  the  other  No.  16,  to  which  others, 
coarser  or  finer,  may  be  added,  if  desired. 

FLOWER-POTS. 

Flower-pots  are  designated  by  their  capacity,  as  half  pints 
(a),  pints  (6),  quarts  (c),  &c. 

They  are  sometimes 
made  too  deep  for  their 
diameter,  or  too  tapering 
toward  the  bottom. 

The  proportion  of  their 
diameter  to  their  depth 
should  be  at  the  top  as  one  to  one,  and  at  the  bottom  as  two  to 
three. 

These  proportions  are  nearly  represented  in  Fig,  d. 
They  should  never  be  glazed  or  over-burned,  by  which  plants 
in  them  are  injured,  probably  frpm  exclusion  of  air,  but  should 
have  the  ordinary  porous  texture  of  sound  brick,  through  which 
air  passes,  and  evaporation  and  absorption  proceed  naturally. 
The  drainage-holes  in  the  bottom  should  range  from  a  full 
half- inch  diameter  in  the  "  quarts"  to  a  full  quarter  inch  in 
the  very  smallest  size.  In  rooms  or  on  fancy  stands  they  are 
placed  in  saucers  (as  Fig.  c),  which  catch  the  drainage,  but 
the  water  should  not  be  allowed  to  remain  in  them. 

STRAW   MATS. 

Straw  mats  (Fig.  14)  are  convenient  and  valuable  for  frame 
sashes,  whether  used  for  winter  covering  of  pit  or  cold  bed,  or 
upon  the  green-house  or  spring  hot  bed.  They  are  easily  and 
quickly  made,  even  by  a  boy,  and  may  be  rather  wider  and  Ion- 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  37 

ger  than  a  single  sash,  so  that 
they  may  overlap,  if  need  be. 
For  a  mat  intended  to  be  four 
feet  wide,  take  strong,  well- 
twisted  hempen  string,  about 
the  thickness  of  a  straw,  and 
stretch  five  strings  at  ten  or 
eleven  inches  apart,  or  six  at 
eight  inches,  from  a  bar  near  the  floor  upward  to  another 
bar  or  beam  six  or  seven  feet  above ;  strain  them  tight,  and 
fasten  them  securely  to  nails  or  pins  driven  for  the  purpose. 
Knot  firmly  on  to  each  of  them,  just  above  the  lower  bar,  a 
second  string  of  the  same  size,  or  a  little  smaller,  and  only 
three  or  four  feet  long,  for  lacing- strings,  which  you  can  add 
to  as  you  find  necessary  in  the  progress  of  the  work :  these  are 
left  hanging  loosely  on  the  floor.  Next  provide  a  quantity 
of  pretty  long  straw ;  place  it  upon  your  left  hand  as  you  seat 
yourself  like  a  basket-maker  in  front  of  the  stretched  strings. 
Take  about  a  boy's  handful  of  the  straw,  and  place  it  with  the 
butts  projecting  a  few  inches  outside  of  the  outer  string,  and 
lace  it  to  its  place  by  the  second  or  third  lacer,  passing  this 
around  the  stretcher,  and  fastening  it  with  a  half-hitch  knot ; 
take  another  handful  for  the  other  side,  and  lay  it  in  with  the 
heads  inward,  so  overlapping  the  former  as  to  make  the  whole 
layer  even ;  fasten  it  in  place,  and  proceed  to  lace  clear  across 
the  mat.  Take  other  equal  quantities  of  straw,  and  lace  them 
in  in  the  same  manner- until  you  attain  a  height  equal  to  the 
desired  length  of  your  mat.  Having  fastened  your  last  lacing, 
cut  the  stretchers,  and  tie  the  ends  securely ;  then  lay  the  mat 
at  length  upon  the  floor,  and,  with  a  board  or  slat  for  a  straight- 
edge, cut  the  projecting  ends  so  as  to  make  your  mat  of  the 
desired  width,  leaving  the  ends  of  the  straw  not  more  than 
three  inches  beyond  the  outer  stretchers  (Fig.  14).  Such 
mats  will  last  for  several  years  if  kept  dried  and  under  cover 
when  not  in  use.  Special  care  should  be  taken  not  to  roll 
them  up  for  summer  storing  while  they  are  damp. 

If  it  is  found  convenient  to  make  a  frame,  upon  which  the 
stretchers  can  be  extended  horizontally,  the  work  may  be  still 


38  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

more  easily  performed.  An  old  bedstead  would  answer  the 
purpose  well.  In  this  case  the  straw  being  at  first  placed 
on  both  hands,  the  operator,  standing  between  the  stretchers, 
works  backward,  and,  as  soon  as  there  is  room  for  it,  the  straw 
is  laid  immediately  before  him  upon  the  finished  portion  of 
the  mat.  Care  should  be  taken  to  lace  uniformly,  and  only 
moderately  tight,  otherwise  the  mat  will  be  rigid,  as  a  too 
closely-knit  sock  is  harsh. 

Common  bass  mats,  or  loose  straw,  mulch,  or  salt  hay,  are 
often  used  for  covering  frames,  &c.,  but  the  straw  mats  made 
as  above  directed  are  better  and  more  convenient. 


CHAPTER  HI. 

Implements  of  common  Culture  from  Plow  to  Dibber. 

IMPLEMENTS  OF  COMMON  CULTURE. 

ANXIOUS  to  restrict  the  size  of  this  book,  the  author  would 
willingly  have  omitted  descriptions  of  implements,  &c.,  but  it 
was  perceived  that  such  a  course  would  leave  it  very  incom- 
plete. The  advancement  of  civilization  is  strikingly  marked 
by  the  improvements  in  instruments  in  aid  of  labor,  whether 
physical  or  mental.  I  have,  however,  limited  the  number  of 
implements  figured,  yet  giving  all  that  the  most  successful 
cultivator  really  needs.  Those  who  desire  to  try  more  will 
find  it  easy  to  make  large  additions. 

All  implements,  whether  large  or  small,  should  be  kept  clean 
when  not  in  use,  the  handles  and  other  wood- work  being  oiled 
or  painted  once  a  year. 

PLOWS. 

There  is  no  end  to 
the  nominal  varieties 
of  plows,  but  Fig.  15, 
intended  to  represent 
the  old  -  fashioned 
"2^  D"  of  Wood, 
common  two-horse  riow.  who  was  the  original 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  39 

patentee  of  plows  made  with  pieced  castings,  which  is  a  favorite 
with  the  farmers  along  the  Hudson,  is  a  fair  specimen  of  the 
most  useful  and  handy  plow  for  common  purposes,  to  be  work- 
ed in  all  soils  with  a  single  pair  of  oxen  or  horses,  with  or 
without  the  forward  gauge- wheel  and  coulter. 

Fig.  16  is  a  longer-fashioned  and  more  wedge-like  plow, 

Fig.  16. 


Longer-fashioned  two-horse  Plow. 


often  preferred  for  land  that  is  smooth  and  free  from  stones,  as 
upon  our  Western  prairies  ;  but  tjie  shorter  the  gearing  of  the 
plow,  the  closer  will  it  run  to  the  ends,  and  be  turned  and  oth- 
erwise managed  the  more  easily. 

The  subsoiler  (Fig.  17)  is  simply  a  heavy,  strongly-made 


Fig.  17. 


Subsoiler. 


plow-frame  and  share,  without  mouldboard,  calculated  for  fol- 
lowing in  the  wake  of  the  common  plow  to  loosen  thoroughly 
the  deeper  soil. 

Small  plows  should  never  be  made  with  double  handles ; 
why  they  ever  were  so  made  I  am  at  a  loss  to  divine,  unless  in 


40 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


mere  imitation  of  the  larger  plows,  which  require  them.  In 
small  plows,  the  second  handle  is  a  useless  and  very  inconven- 
ient encumbrance ;  but  at  the  Fair  of  the  American  Institute 
for  1857  not  a  single-handled  plow  was  exhibited. 

The  small  one-horse  plow  (Fig.  18)  should  be  of  the  same  gen- 
eral fashion  as  Fig.  15,  but  with  a  single  and  rather  more  upright 


Fig.  18. 


Small  one-horse  Plow. 

handle,  from  which  a  brace  extends  to  the  outer  extremity  of 
the  mouldboard.  It  may  often  be  used  in  the  second  plowing 
of  patches  in  the  garden,  where  a  larger  plow  and  double  team 
could  not  work,  but  it  is  chiefly  used  for  furrowing  and  hilling. 
The  half  mouldboard  plow  (Fig.  19),  when  properly  made, 

Fig.  19. 


Half  mouldboard  Plow. 


is  a  rather  narrower  and  fuller-breasted,  but  lighter  plow  than 
Fig.  18,  of  the  same  general  style,  but  with  the  hinder  end  or 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


41 


wing  of  the  mouldboard  left  off,  so  that  it  is  calculated  for  stir- 
ring the  earth  without  turning  the  furrow-slice  over.  It  may 
therefore  he  driven  deeply  between  growing  crops  without  risk 
of  covering  them,  though  it  suffices  in  general  to  form  hills  of 
the  most  desirable  kind.  See  HILLING.  It  is  often  called 
the  "  Potato  Plow,"  from  its  very  common  use  in  that  crop. 
The  best  double  mouldboard  plow  (Fig.  20)  is  a  small  sin- 
rig.  20.  gle-handled  plow,  with 
two  movable  mould- 
boards  (a),  the  fore 
edges  of  which  fit  into 
grooves  in  the  stand- 
ard, and  are  kept  firm- 
ly in  place  by  a  wood- 
en wedge  at  the  beam, 
each  being  braced  out- 
ward by  a  small  wood- 
en pin  (c)  near  the 
heel.  The  share  is  of 
a  triangular  or  duck- 
bill form  (6),  fitting  on 
to  the  point  of  the  sole, 
and  secured  to  it  by  a 
Double  mouldboard  Plow.  wedge  on  its  under 
side.  It  is  used  for  hilling  potatoes,  &c.,  after  the  earth  has 
been  first  plowed  from  them. 

In  light,  clear  soils  it  may  be  useful,  but  in  ordinary  land 
must  be  run  shallow  and  scooping,  and  works  unsteadily,  and 
on  various  accounts  can  seldom  be  made  to  save  labor  without 
corresponding  loss  to  the  crop.  Larger  and  stronger  ones  are 
made,  which,  except  possibly  for  ridging,  are  still  less  valua- 
ble. 

The  skeleton  plow  (Fig.  21)  is,  in  fact,  a  small  subsoiler, 
made  by  taking  off  the  double  mouldboards  from  Fig.  20.  It 
closely  resembles  the  old  Roman  plow,  without  its  wings  or 
triangular  followers.  This  plow  is  invaluable  in  the  opera- 
tions of  the  farm  gardener,  particularly  for  giving  the  last  deep 
movement  to  the  earth  between  the  rows  of  growing  vegeta- 


42 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


Skeleton  Plow  and  Horse  Driller. 


rig.  21.  bles,  such    as    cab- 

bages, carrots,  beets, 
&c.  It  may  also  be 
used  for  ordinary 
furrowing  by  fasten- 
ing an  old  shoe  or 
something  equiva- 
lent in  front  of  the 
curved  standard  or 
shaft,  so  as  to  give 
width  to  the  opened 
furrow ;  or,  if  it  be 
used  with  an  'old 
share  having  the  corners  broken  off,  it  serves  a  good  purpose 
as  a  horse-driller  in  making  drills  for  wide-rowed  crops,  where 
a  proper  drill  or  corn-planter  is  not  used. 

This  and  the  half  mouldboard  plow  (Fig.  19)  are  the  most 
marked  and  valuable  improvements  among  the  lighter  forms 
which  have  been  adopted  since  patent  plows  came  into  use. 

A  small  hand-plow  is  found  in  our  agricultural  stores,  with 
a  long,  straight,  stout  handle,  into  which  it  is  fastened  by  an 
iron  shank,  upon  which  the  plow  proper  moves,  so  that  its 
depth  may  be  regulated  by  a  screw.  In  light  soils  such"  an 
implement  may  often  be  found  useful  in  garden  culture.  Its 
present  construction,  however,  is  ridiculously  wrong,  since  it  is 
made  to  draw  as  a  common  hoe,  requiring  the  workman  to  walk 
backward  as  he  labors,  making  its  use  a  task  for  a  convict  rath- 
er than  a  pleasant  labor  for  the  amateur. 

Any  country  blacksmith  can  set  the  shank  the  other  way  in 
a  few  minutes,  and  when  thus  changed  to  thrust  instead  of 
draw,  and  gauged  to  a  proper  depth,  the  workman,  by  throwing 
his  weight  a  little  forward  upon  the  handle,  and  moving  stead- 
ily, will  be  able  to  make  it  perform  satisfactorily  without  much 
waste  of  muscle. 

HARROWS. 

The  harrow,  whether  triangular  or  square,  is  commonly  made 
without  being  jointed  or  hinged  for  folding  ;  but  the  improve- 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 
Fig.  22.  Fig.  23. 

k 


43 


i  I  n  i  rr 

Triangular  folding  Harrow,  single. 


Triangular  folding  Harrow,  double. 


ment  is  so  obviously  valuable  on  various  accounts,  that  it  should 
be  universally  adopted.  The  square  or  oblong  harrow,  made 
with  three  bars  in  each  leaf,  will  be  found  more  convenient  to 
cany  on  an  ordinary  stone-boat  or  sled  than  if  larger. 


Fig.  24 


Square  or  oblong  folding  Harrow ,  with  either  six  or  eight  bars. 

The  corn  harrow  (Fig.  25)  is  a  small  triangular  harrow, 
about  four  feet  in  length,  made  with  clamp  hinges  in  front, 
and  movable  rack  or  gauge-bars  near  the  back,  by  means  of 
which  it  may  be  spread  in  width  to  thirty  inches,  or  closed  to 
about  sixteen,  at  pleasure. 

It  has  a  single  handle  set  into  the  centre-bar,  just  back  of 


44 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


Fig.  25. 


Corn  Harrow. 


the  gauge-bars,  which  is  braced  securely  from  near  the  outer 

end  of  the  bar,  hav- 
ing sufficient  slope 
.backward  to  enable 
the  holder  to  walk 
freely  behind  it,  and 
lift  it  readily  by  the 
hand-pin  when  nec- 
essary. 

It  is  usually  made 
with  two  or  three 
teeth  in  the  centre- 
bar,  and  four  in  each 
of  the  wing  bars.  Sometimes  a  short  beam  is  attached,  as  in 
the  cultivator,  rising  ten  inches  or  a  foot  above  the  bar,  so  that, 
if  desired,  the  power  may  be  increased  by  the  pressure  of  the 
draft  in  front  and  the  hand  of  the  holder  behind ;  or,  instead 
of  the  beam,  a  well-braced  iron  rack-bar  may  be  used,  upon 
which  a  loose  link  is  raised  or  lowered  by  a  short  wooden  pin, 
as  in  the  above  figure  (25),  or  both  this  and  the  cultivator  may 
have  the  semicircular  rack  and  gauge-wheel  (Fig.  26  a)  at- 
tached to  the  centre-bar. 

A  smaller  and  very  light  harrow  of  the  same  construction, 
with  teeth  of  f  or  \  inch  iron,  is  especially  useful  to  follow  the 
skeleton  plow  among  root  crops  while  young. 

CULTIVATOR. 

The  cultivator  (Fig.  26)  is  framed  precisely  like  the  corn 
rig.  26.  harrow,  but    with   a 

double  handle,  and 
each  tooth  has  a  small 
doubl  e  -  mould  share 
attached,  or  the  entire 
tooth  is  cast  in  one 
piece,  with  double- 

cuitivator.  mould  share  points; 

it  is  by  some  called  a  "  Horse  Hoe,"  and  by  others  the  Hoe 
Harrow. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  45 

Sometimes  the  two  outer  back  teeth  have  only  single-mould 
shares,  which,  by  changing  from  side  to  side,  may  be  set  so  as 
to  turn  their  little  furrows  either  to  or  from  the  rows  between 
which  they  may  be  running.  The  beam  may  be  dispensed 
with  if  the  rack  and  gauge- wheel  described  below  is  preferred. 
The  cultivator  is  a  mere  surface  implement,  and  unless,  pos- 
sibly, in  very  light  soils,  will  not  save  much  labor,  except  at 
cost  of  crop.  The  single-horse  plow,  or  the  half  mouldboard, 
followed  by  the  corn  harrow,  does  greatly  superior  work. 

The  semicircular  rack,&c.  (Fig.  26  a)  consists  of  two  perfora- 
Fig.  26 «.  ted  and  matched  cast-iron  bands,  with  brace- 

bands  across  the  diameter.  The  brace- 
bands  have  at  the  forward  end  projecting 
sockets,  in  which  the  arms  of  the  gauge- 
wheel  axle  work.  They  have  also  a  single 
cast-iron  semicircular  hole  at  the  centre,  by  which  they  are  se- 

Rack  and  Gauge-wheel.    cure(J  to  fae  Jjar  With  a  bolt  that  fomiS   the 

axle  of  the  rack.  Upon  this  it  is  moved  at  pleasure,  and  set  to 
the  desired  depth  by  means  of  a  loose  pin  or  bolt  passed  through 
the  rack-holes  above  or  below  the  bar ;  the  draught  is  by  a 
movable  link,  which  can  be  fixed  at  any  point  in  the  semi- 
circle. 

The  rack  is  made  to  suit  a  bar  of  about  four  inches  width, 
and  can  be  fitted  in  a  few  minutes  to  any  harrow  or  cultivator 
having  its  centre-bar  of  sufficient  length  beyond  the  hinges. 

SEED-SOWERS. 

The  corn-planter,  Fig.  27,  p.  46,  is  a  skeleton  plow,  with  a 
hopper,  sowing-tube,  and  covering  apparatus  attached,  con- 
nected with  a  contrivance  which,  by  a  spring,  or  circular  brush, 
or  otherwise,  passes  the  requisite  amount  of  seed  from  the  hop- 
per into  the  tube  for  planting,  at  the  proper  distances.  There 
are  several  good  ones  patented  ;  the  figure  represents  Emery's. 

The  hand  seed-sower,  or  "  barrow  drill,"  Fig.  28,  p.  46,  is  a 
smaller  machine,  but  of  the  same  general  description  as  the 
corn-planter.  In  well-prepared  soil  it  makes  the  drill,  sows 
the  seed,  either  continuously  or  at  given  distances,  covers,  and 
gently  presses  it.  Sometimes  the  arrangement  for  covering  is 


AMERICAN  HOME   GARDEN. 

Fig.  28. 


ward  covered  by  raking, 
one  who  is  rheumatic. 


Hand  seed-sower. 

such  as  to  throw  the  small 
lumps  first  upon  the  seed 
rather  than  the  finer   soil. 
This    is    undesirable,   and 
should  be  obviated  by  gear- 
ing a  small  spring-governed 
|   rake  after  the  coverer,  or  by 
,1    some  other  device. 
g       The  sowing-tube,  Fig.  29, 
^   is  a  tin  tube,  about  four  feet 
I       long  and  an  inch  in  diame- 
\1      ter,  with  a  small  bend  or  lip 
^  at  the  lower  end,  and  at  the 

upper  a  funnel  mouth.  The 
sower,  holding  the  tube  in 
his  left  hand,  draws  its  low- 
er end  after  him  in  a  previ- 
ously-prepared drill,  drop- 
ping the  seed  as  he  goes,  in 
due  proportion,  into  the  fun- 
nel, whence  it  passes  to  the 
prepared  drill,  being  after- 
It  is  suited  to  the  mere  amateur,  or 

Fig.  29. 


Sowing-tube. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  47 

PICKAXE,  STUB-HOE,  &C. 

The  crowbar,  Fig.  30,  is  too  well  known,  with  its  uses,  to  re- 
quire description.  To  be  handy  for  its  various  common  pur- 
poses, it  should  be  about  five  feet  long,  weighing  at  the  most 

Fig.  30. 
Crowbar. 

twenty  pounds,  rounded  and  tapering  toward  the  top,  squared 
and  heavier  toward  its  steel-tipped  point ;  or  the  whole  may 
be  a  little  lighter,  and  entirely  of  cast  steel. 

Fig.  31.  Fig.  32. 


Pickaxe. 


The  pickaxe,  Fig.  31,  should  have  its  two  stub-hoe. 

steel-pointed  arms  of  equal  length,  weight, 
and  curve ;  its  eye  oval,  strong,  larger  outward  than  inward, 
and  rather  heavy  in  proportion  to  the  arms,  to  add  force  to  the 
stroke,  but  for  common  purposes  the  whole  should  not  weigh 
more  than  ten  pounds ;  with  an  ash  or  hickory  handle,  about 
three  feet  long,  perfectly  ^fitting  the  eye. 

The  stub-hoe,  Fig.  32,  is  simply  a  strong,  rough  adze,  not 
quite  so  much  incurved  as  that  used  by  shipwrights,  and  serves 
well  for  cutting  up  by  the  roots  bushes  that  are  found  too 
strong  for  the  plow. 

The  mattock,  Fig.  33,  is  a  combination  of  the  stub-hoe  with 


48 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


Fig.  33. 


Mattock. 


a  rough  root-axe,  in- 
tended for  the  same 
general  purposes  as 
the  former;  but,  as 
commonly  made,  with 
its  blades  too  long  and 
awkward,  it  is  a  clum- 
sy tool,  to  which  the 
stub  -  hoe,  aided,  if 
needful,  by  a  common 
axe,  is  greatly  prefer- 
able. 


SHOVELS   AND   SPADE. 
Fig.  36. 


Fig.  37. 


Garden-shoveL 


Spade. 


Stable-shovel. 


The  shape  of  shovels  differs 
with  the  purposes  for  which  they  are  in- 
tended. Some,  for  special  uses,  are  large 
and  scoop-like,  as  Fig.  34 ;  others  more  mod- 
erate" in  size,  and  fashioned  less  with  a  view 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


49 


to  carrying  their  load  than  to  facility  in  its  discharge,  as  Fig.  35. 
Such  are  our  canal  and  rail-road  shovels,  which,  being  also  of 
sufficient  capacity,  serve  well  for  the  varied  purposes  of  the  gar- 
den. Perhaps  the  best  size  for  common  use  is  that  known  as 
No.  2,  of  Ames's  manufacture,  with  a  handle  about  twenty-six 
inches  long,  including  the  eye,  and  a  flattish,  bright  steel  blade, 
cropped  at  the  corners  to  aid  its  balance  and  general  efficiency 
in  excavating,  its  blade  inclined  slightly  inward  or  upward  by 
the  shortening  of  the  front  strap  and  the  bend  of  the  handle. 

Long-handled  shovels  and  spades  occasionally  serve  a  pur- 
pose, as  in  removing  matter  which  it  is  unpleasant  to  approach  ; 
but,  except  as  prys,  there  is  a  great  loss  of  power  in  using 
them,  and  in  general  they  are  suited  only  to  the  lame  or  the 
lazy. 

The  sheet-iron  scoop-shovel,  Fig.  36,  is  every  where  known 
as  an  instrument  perfectly  adapted  to  its  ordinary  uses. 

The  spade,  Fig.  37,  should  be  of  stout  and  polished  steel, 
generally  of  the  size  known  as  No.  2,  of  which  the  blade  is  us- 
ually twelve  inches  long,  running  from  seven  and  a  half  inches 
wide  at  the  insertion  of  the  handle  to  seven  inches  at  the  edge, 
strengthened  by  a  very  slight  curvature,  and  having  strong 
bands  laid  up  a  sound  ashen  handle,  properly  curved  to  give  a 
forward  set  to  the  blade..  The  ordinary  length  of  the  handle 
should  be  twenty-six  inches,  including  the  eye  ;  but  this  may 
vary  a  little  to  advantage  for  persons  of  different  height  and 
flexibility. 


HOES. 


Fig.  38. 


Steel-blade  Hilling-hoe. 


The  hilling-hoe,  Fig. 
38,  is  a  thin,  flat  plate 
of  steel,  perforated,  and 
having  its  eye  or  socket 
formed  by  inserting  a 
solid  band  of  jjretty  stout 
sheet  iron,  the  outer  rim 
of  which  is  turned  down 
upon  the  back  of  the 
blade,  and  riveted  to  it, 


c 


50  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

as  shown  in  the  figure.  The  smaller  end  of  this  slightly-ta- 
pering eye-band  stands  inward,  with  a  very  slight  inclination 
toward  the  edge,  or  downward,  to  give  set  to  the  blade.  This 
hoe  has  almost  no  capacity  for  ordinary  work,  where  force  upon 
the  edge  is  required.  Its  advantages  are  that  it  may  be  pre- 
pared for  use  in  a  moment  by  slipping  it  downward  to  the  butt 
of  a  tapering  handle,  or  smoothly-dressed  light  bean-pole,  and 
that  its  peculiar  lightness,  size,  &c.,  enables  an  ambidextrous 
workman  to  hill  more  rapidly  than  with  any  other  hoe  in  all 
loose  soils  tolerably  free  from  stones.  Inferior  iron-bladed  hoes 
of  this  description  are  worthless. 

Fig.  39. 


Goose-necked  steel  Garden-hoe. 

The  goose-necked  steel  garden-hoe,  Fig.  39,  long  and  exten- 
sively known  as  Tuttle's  patent,  is  probably  perfect  for  its  pur- 
poses, no  essential  change  having  been  found  desirable  in  its 
material  or  form  from  the  first,  though  of  late  attempts  have 
been  made  to  improve  it  as  a  hilling-hoe  by  welding  the  goose- 
bill  more  nearly  upon  the  back  edge  of  the  blade,  and  lessen- 
ing the  curve;  but  it  loses  value  as  a  garden-hoe  by  the 
change.  In  its  original  and  proper  shape,  it  has  a  forged  and 
polished  steel  blade,  slightly  incurved,  welded  to  an  iron  goose- 
necked  shank,  which  is  firmly  keyed  into  a  rather  light  han- 
dle about  four  feet  long,  the  tapered  end  of  which  is  sheathed 
and  secured  by  a  sufficient  iron  ferule.  The  blade  is  lessened 
a  little  in  width  from  the  edge  backward,  and  by  beating  out 
portions  of  the  back  part  of  the  blade  toward  the  ends,  two 
wings  are  formed,  rising  slightly  above  the  neck  of  the  shank, 
between  which,  thus  spread,  the  goose-bill  is  welded  to  the 
blade,  being  set  in  a  little  toward  its  centre.  By  this  ar- 
rangement the  direction  of  the  force  in  using  it  is  so  balanced 
that,  whether  the  stroke  be  made  with  the  centre  or  corner  of 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 


51 


rig.  40. 


the  edge,  there  is  about  equal  power, 
and  no  "  wring"  upon  the  hand  of  the 
workman. 

The  goose-necked  crane's-bill  hoe, 
Fig.  40,  is  a  light,  long,  tapering  hoe, 
with  a  socket  for  the  handle,  which 
may  sometimes  be  found  useful  for 
loosening  the  earth  among  flowers,  or 
when  taking  out  strong  weeds,  or 
around  young  vegetable  plants  after 
beating  rains. . 

The  thrust-hoe  (Fig.  41  a)  is  a  thin 
steel  blade,  about  two  inches  deep  and 
of  any  desired  width,  welded  or  riveted  to  a  nearly  semicir- 
cular frame  attached  to  a  socket,  into  which  a  pretty  long  and 
stout  handle  is  inserted,  and  the  hoe  is  thrust  instead  of  being 
drawn  in  the  various  uses  to  which  it  is  put. 

Fig.  41.  ,,  Fig.  42. 


Goose-necked  crane's-bill  Hoe,  or 
Weeding-hoe. 


Missionary  Hoe. 


Fig.  41  b  is  a  somewhat 
improved  form,  in  which 
improved  Thrust  Hoe.  the  socket  and  frame  are 
of  malleable  iron,  and  the  ends  of  the  frame,  or  arms,  are  riv- 
eted near  the  middle  of  the  blade,  which  should  be  about  three 
inches  wide,  and  so  set  that  it  can 'be  used  either  in  thrusting 
or  drawing. 

Hoes  of  this  kind  are  calculated  for  shallow  hoeing  upon  a 
level  surface,  as  among  very  young  vegetable  or  other  crops,  or 
for  cleaning  paths,  &c.  Their  proper  management  requires 
some  experience,  and  their  width  should  not  exceed  eight  inch- 
es, which  is  exactly  enough  to  pass  safely  between  rows  that 
were  sown  a  foot  apart.  Any  larger  size  than  this  becomes 
unwieldy  even  for  a  strong  man. 


52 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


The  missionary  hoe  (Fig.  42)  is  simply  the  thrust  hoe  with 
a  square  frame,  and  a  wooden  roller  geared  ahead  of  the  blade 
for  the  purpose  of  "  breaking  the  crust"  among  young  seedling 
crops. 

It  also  gauges  the  cut  of  the  hoe  to  a  uniform  depth,  thus 
rendering  it  an  excellent  path  hoe.  In  soils  clear  of  stones  it 
will  do  a  great  deal  more  work  in  the  same  time  than  either 
the  common  garden  hoe  or  the  thrust  hoe.  In  fact,  if  the  soil 
be  clear  and  light,  an  experienced  hand  will  pass  it  through 
foot-rows  of  young  plants,  cleaning  them  thoroughly,  at  a  rate 
very  little  slower  than  an  ordinary  walk. 

However  naturally  the  special  object  of  this  humble  instru- 
ment might  have  suggested  its  name,  it  was  not,  in  fact,  so  de- 
rived ;  but  the  hoe  itself  was  invented  by  a  missionary  connect- 
ed with  a  company  sent  to  the  Osages  of  Arkansas  Territory  by 
the  American  Board  nearly  forty  years  ago. 

TROWELS  AND  TRANSPLANTER. 
GARDEN   TROWELS. 

Garden  trowels  (Figures  43  a,  6)  are  tapering,  half  round 

Fig.  43. 


Fig.  44. 


a.  Smaller  Garden  Trowel.  6.  Larger  Garden  Trowel. 

trowels,  of  different  sizes,  which  are  used  where 
special  care  is  required  in  removing  small 
plants.  The  blades  should  always  be  of  pol- 
ished steel,  and  ought  not  to  be  suffered  to  be- 
come rusty. 

The  flower  transplanter  (Fig.  44)  may  be  re- 
garded as  a  pair  of  trowels  loosely  hinged  to- 
gether at  the  edges  by  a  single  rivet,  so  that 
when  thrust  down,  one  on  either  side  of  a  plant, 
their  points  can  be  braced  together,  and  the 
whole  root  and  earth  be  lifted  and  transferred 
to  a  new  and  previously  prepared  hole  or  pot. 
Flower  Transplanter.  The  same  end  may  be  accomplished  with  a  pair 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  53 

of  loose  trowels  and  an  iron  ring  of  suitable  size,  which,  being 
passed  over  the  head  of  the  plant,  and  the  trowels  thrust  per- 
pendicularly down  within  it,  will  afford  the  necessary  fulcrum 
to  each  when  strained  upon. 

GRASS  AND   BUSH   SCYTHES,  &C. 

The  scythe  (Fig.  45),  not  being  intended  for  ordinary  mow- 
ing, but  for  cutting  grass  while  short  upon  lawns,  and  plots, 

Fig.  45. 


Grass-scythe. 

and  paths,  if  such  are  made,  and  in  odd  corners,  ought  to  have, 
as  represented  in  the  figure,  a  pretty  short  blade,  with  a  "  sneath" 
so  bent  as  to  lay  the  edge  almost  perfectly  level  with  the  sur- 
face ;  and  instead  of  the  old-fashioned  wedged  "  knebs"  and 
"heel-ring,"  let  it  be  fitted  with  the  screw  knebs  and  the 
screw  or  clamp  heel-ring  of  Lamson's  patent,  or  some  other 
equally  convenient  and  stanch. 

The  bush-scythe  (Fig.  46),  which  is  often  found  useful  for 
rig.  46.  cutting  coarse  weeds,  has  a  very  short  blade, 

strongly,  even  rather  heavily  made,  and 
should  have   a   short   strong   sneath,  not 
Bush-scythe.  much  bent,  and  hung  with  extra  strong 

clamp  heel-ring,  or  with  the  heel-ring  doubled. 

rig.  47.  The  bush-hook  (Fig. 

47)  is  a  powerful  in- 
strument for  cutting 
brush  at  arms'  length, 
Bush-hook.  but   is   less   efficient 

than  the  bush- scythe,  which  will  generally  supersede  it. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


Grass-hook. 


The  grass-hook  (Fig.  48)  resembles  the  old  sickle,  or  reap- 
Fig-  48-  ing-hook,  except  in  being  some- 

what shorter,  and  having  a  plain 
instead  of  a  toothed  edge.  It 
is  used  for  cutting  the  grass 
from  edgings  or  other  limited 
spaces  where  the  scythe  can  not 
be  worked. 

The  grass-edger  (Fig.  49)  is 
a  strong,  cresqent-formed  steel  plate,  with  a  socket  for  the  han- 
Fig.  49.         die  extending  from  its  inner  centre.     It  is  used 
fir  for  cutting  the  edges  of  grass-paths,  plots,  or 

edgings,  either  with  a  stretched  line  or  by  the 
Ik.     I'       .A  eye,  the  handle  being  of  sufficient  length  to  ena- 
j  ble  the  operator  to  throw  his  weight  on  to  it  as 
he  presses  it  before  him.     A  slight  change  is 
Grass-edger.     sometimes  made  in  the  form  of  the  knife,  and  a 
small  wheel  geared  to  run  ahead  of  it,  which  has  the  advan- 
tages of  giving  it  gauge  and  steadiness. 

FORKS. 

All  pronged  and  toothed  implements  for  working  in  the  earth, 
rig.  50.  rig.  51.      Fig.  52.     &c.?  should  have  their  prongs  or 

teeth  of  steel,  and  neither  round 
nor  flat,  but  either  oval  or  four- 
sided,  the  thickness  or  depth  of 
the  prong  or  tooth  being  made 
greater  than  its  width,  so  that  its 
greatest  strength  may  always  be 
opposed  to  the  greatest  strain. 

This  is  of  special  importance  in 
the  implements  figured  above  and 
in  the  potato-hook.     In  rakes  it 
is  desirable,  though  not  essential. 
The  spade-fork  (Fig.  50)  is  simply  a 
strongly-made,  square-headed,  four-prong- 
ed steel  fork,  of  which  the  prongs  should 
spade-fork.   Manure-fork,  be  about  ten  inches  long,  from  one  half  to 


Hand-fork. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  55 

three  eighths  of  an  inch  wide,  and  full  half  an  inch  deep  or 
thick,  standing  almost  perfectly  straight,  tapering  but  very 
slightly,  if  at  all,  and  being  dubbed  off  rather  than  pointed. 
It  should  have  a  heavy  shank,  secured  by  a  strong  ferule  and 
riveted  straps  into  the  handle,  and  so  bent  as  to  give  the 
prongs  a  little  set  forward.  The  whole  should  be  of  the  length 
of  an  ordinary  spade,  or  a  little  longer — say  rather  more  than 
three  and  a  half  feet.  It  is  used  to  great  advantage  in  the  fall 
or  spring  for  stirring  and  cleaning  the  ground  around  and  among 
herbaceous  plants  and  shrubs,  and  for  the  proper  spring  clean- 
ing and  loosening  of  asparagus,  strawberry-beds,  &c. ;  and,  in 
general,  for  all  light  digging,  whether  deep  or  shallow. 

The  manure-fork  (Fig.  51)  should  be  of  steel,  with  prongs 
of  the  same  general  form,  square-headed  or  semicircular,  rath- 
er wider  than  the  spade-fork,  but  lighter,  keenly  tapered,  well 
curved,  and  polished.  It  may  either  be  braced  with  strong 
bands  to  the  handle,  or,  if  the  additional  strength  be  less  desir- 
able than  lightness,  it  may  be  simply  keyed  into  the  handle 
through  a  strong  end-band  or  ferule,  extending  about  the  same 
length  upon  the  handle  as  the  shank  or  tang  within  it.  It  is 
used  for  moving  manure,  weeds,  rubbish,  &c.,  and  is  often  found 
convenient  in  heaping  hay. 

The  hand-fork  (Fig.  52)  is  a  miniature  spade-fork,  with  a 
handle  twelve  or  fifteen  inches  long,  useful  for  the  light  work 
of  ladies  in  flower-plots  and  borders. 

POTATO-HOOK. 
Fig.  53. 


The  potato-hook  (Fig.  53)  is  a  steel  hook,  which  should  be 
strongly  made,  with  four  prongs  shaped  like  those  of  the  spade- 
fork,  but  proportionably  smaller,  set  well  forward,  and  very 
slightly  curved,  having  a  pretty  stout  shank  securely  keyed 
into  a  strongly-feruled  ordinary  hoe-handle.  In  general  the 
prongs  are  made  of  other  forms,  and  often  give  trouble,  and  the 
mode  of  securing  them  in  the  handle  is  not  yet  perfected  by 


56 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


u    U 


n\f 


the  manufacturers  ;  in  heavy  work  they  are  apt  to  become  loose. 
Besides  their  common  use  as  potato-diggers,  they  are  also  val- 
uable for  loosening  the  earth  among  young  crops,  around  plants, 
and  in  narrow  borders  where  it  is  desirable  to  avoid  treading 
upon  the  newly-loosened  soil ;  for  removing  grass  that  has  be- 
come sodded  among  edging  or  near  the  roots  of  plants  ;  also  for 
"  chopping  over"  ground  that  has  become  dry,  before  sowing 
it ;  for  covering  seeds  sown  in  drills,  and  for  many  of  the  gen- 
eral purposes  of  a  small  rake. 

RAKES. 

The  wood-headed  rake  (Figures  54,  55)  is  a  familiar  garden 
Fig.  54.  Fig.  55.  tool.     The  head  of  a  rake  is 

3  the  bar,  into  which  the  teeth 
are  fastened,  or  to  which 
they  are  attached.  When 
this  is  of  wood,  the  end  of 
the  handle  is  tapered  and 
inserted  at  the  centre  of  the 
,  bar.  having  two  or  more 

Smaller  wood-headed         *  & 

Rake.  side-braces  of  tough  wood  or 

pretty  strong  wire.     They  have  eight,  or 
ten,  or  twelve  teeth,  at  about  an  inch  apart, 

Larger  wood-headed  Rake.  whlch   afe   either   clinched,  Or,  mOTO    neatly, 

riveted  in  with  small  burrs.  Such  rakes  are 
to  be  found,  of  excellent  make,  in  almost  every  country  storer 
their  single  general  defect  being  that  the  handles  are  from  six 
inches  to  a  foot  too  short.  It  is  not  force,  but  reach,  that  is 
required  in  a  rake ;  and  the  handle  of  a  garden-rake  should  be 
but  little,  if  any,  shorter  than  that  of  the  ordinary  hay-rake. 
Cast-steel  rakes  of  various  sizes  (Fig.  56),  with  heads  to 

Fig,  se.  which  the  teeth  are  welded,  not  riveted,  having 
|  it  I!  1 1!  j\vii  II  iTil  either  shank  or  socket  for  the  handle,  though, 

Ivflffl v!  I  in  general,  the  former  is  preferable,  are  also 
cast-steel  Rake,  with  found  in  company  with  the  former,  the  handles 

shank.  having  the  same  defect ;  but  in  other  respects 
they  are  all  that  can  be  desired,  except  where,  for  special  rea- 
sons, the  wood  head  may  be  preferred. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


57 


MISCELLANEOUS  IMPLEMENTS,  &c. 
The  line-reel  and  its  pin  may  be  of  iron,  as  shown  in  the  fig- 
ure (57),  or  a  couple  of  wooden  pins,  of  an 
inch  diameter  and  fifteen  inches  length, 
may  be  substituted,  upon  each  of  which 
one  half  the  line  may  be  wound,  as  boys 
wind  kite-cord. 

The  line  itself  should  be  of  tarred 
cord,  twisted  pretty  hard,  such  as  ship- 
chandlers  and  boatmen  call  "marlin," 
a  hundred  yards'  length  of  which  will 
not  cost  above  a  dollar,  and  with  care 
will  last  for  twenty  years.  Paths,  beds, 
plots,  &c.,  are  laid  out  by  the  aid  of  the 
garden-line.  It  is  also  used  as  a  guide 
in  setting  out  rows  of  plants,  or  in  the 
preparation  of  drills  for  sowing,  which  are  usually  cut  along  it 
with  the  hoe,  or  merely  marked  along  with  the  end  of  the  han- 
dle, or  with  a  stick. 

The  marker  (Fig.  58)  is  a  home-made  implement,  devised 

Fig.  53. 


Line  and  Line-reel. 


Marker. 


to  obviate  the  necessity  of  repeatedly  setting  a  line,  and  draw- 
ing single  drills  by  it.     To  make  it,  take  a  piece  of  any  com- 

C2 


58  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

mon  joist  that  is  not  too  light,  five  feet  and  a  half  long,  and 
with  an  inch  and  a  half  auger  bore  six  holes  through  it  at  a 
foot  apart,  leaving  three  inches  solid  on  each  end.  Insert  the 
handle,  five  or  six  feet  long,  in  the  centre,  almost  horizontally, 
and  brace  it  well.  Next  take  six  pieces  of  common  pointed 
picket,  about  eighteen  inches  long ;  shoulder  them  uniformly 
on  both  edges  at  a  foot  from  the  point  end,  forming  a  shank  to 
each  of  six  inches  long,  dressed  so  as  to  pass  the  auger  holes 
(Fig.  58  a).  Having  set  them  all  in,  nail  a  light  strip  along 
the  upper  and  under  sides  of  the  bar,  back  of  the  teeth,  to  set 
them  in  proper  range  and  keep  them  from  turning,  and  finish 
by  wedging  them  carefully  and  firmly  to  their  places  from  the 
upper  side. 

Where  a  large  piece  or  bed  is  to  be  .sown  or  planted,  it  is 
used  in  the  following  manner  :  The  line,  being  tightly  stretch- 
ed in  the  desired  direction  upon  one  side,  forms  a  guide  to  the 
outer  tooth  of  the  marker  in  the  first  draft ;  subsequently  the 
outer  mark  of  each  draft  forms  the  guide,  the  tooth  being  run 
in  it  at  each  repetition  of  the  stroke,  as  the  operator,  walking 
backward,  draws  the  marker  carefully  after  him.  With  this, 
six  marks  are  made  at  the  first  draft,  and  five  at  each  repeti- 
Fig.59.  tion. 

Lighter  or  heavier  ones,  with  narrower  or  wider  spaces, 
II     II  can  of  course  be  made. 

\^fj  r^Q  dibber  or  planting-stick  (Fig.  59)  is  best  made 
from  an  old  spade-handle,  which  is  usually  of  the  prop- 
er thickness  for  the  purpose.  It  should  be  about  fifteen 
inches  long,  including  the  hand-hold  or  eye.  The 
point  should  not  be  shod  with  iron,  nor  sharpened  as 
if  for  piercing,  but  formed  rather  obtusely,  as  nearly 
of  an  egg  form  as  possible.  It  is  used  in  setting  out 
Dibber,  small  plants. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  59 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Sources  of  Vegetation.— Elements  of  Vegetable  and  Animal  Life.— Ma- 
nuring and  Manures,  Composts,  etc. 

SOURCES  OF  VEGETATION. 

As  all  plants  sprang  originally  from  the  earth,  were  watered 
by  the  rain,  and  surrounded  by  the  air,  we  may  properly  ex- 
pect to  find  in  these,  or  some  of  them,  all  the  elements  of  which 
plants  consist ;  and  such  Chemistry  shows  us  is  the  fact. 
Plants  receive  from  continually  renewed,  and  therefore  ex- 
haustless  sources  in  the  earth  and  air,  through  the  water  which 
dissolves  or  absorbs  them,  those  elements  which  each  variety 
of  plant  secretes  and  appropriates  according  to  its  particular 
nature  and  wants,  aided  or  modified  by  the  influence  of  light 
and  heat.  These  same  elements,  the  constituents  of  vegeta- 
bles, form  also,  with  certain  peculiar  modifications,  the  com- 
plete circle  of  the  elements  of  animal  life.  Milk  is  the  only 
perfect  and  entire  compound  of  the  essential  elements  of  ani- 
mal support  and  growth ;  but  those  elements  already  existed 
in  the  grasses  from  which  the  milk  was  secreted,  and  are  de- 
rived even  still  more  richly  from  certain  other  vegetables  and 
grains,  receiving  from  them  in  the  process  of  secretion  their 
own  peculiar  taste  or  odor,  or  that  of  other  things  mixed  with 
them,  as  the  wild  onion,  etc.  "All  flesh  is  grass"  in  some- 
thing more  than  a  merely  figurative  or  poetical  sense. 

Animal  digestion  and  partial  decomposition  by  fermenta- 
tion are  the  common  means  by  which  the  various  elements,  orig- 
inally derived  from  their  natural  sources  through  the  action  of 
the  vegetable  world,  are  prepared  to  be  returned  to  it,  that  they 
may  be  gathered  in  new  forms,  to  be  again  consumed,  and  again 
returned ;  and  again  regathered,  in  the  incessant  circle  of 
changes  which  shall  end  only  with  time. 


60  AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 

MANURING  AND  MANURES. 

Manuring,  then,  is  to  furnish  to  the  plant,  in  a  fit  state  and 
under  suitable  conditions,  those  elements  which  are  essential 
to  its  healthful  growth ;  in  other  words,  to  feed  it,  accompa- 
nied with  such  stimulants  as  will  induce  more  vigorous  action 
in  the  appropriation  or  assimilation  of  the  food  we  offer.  Some- 
times, indeed,  we  modify  the  form,  or  withhold  the  stimulants, 
having  rather  in  view  permanent  than  immediate  benefit,  as 
when  we  apply  alone  crushed  bones,  lime,  unrotted  manure, 
muck,  etc.,  all  of  which  we  use  with  more  or  less  calculation 
of  benefit  to  future  crops,  or  to  the  composition  of  the  substance 
of  the  soil.  There  is,  however,  much  yet  to  be.  learned  as  to 
the  precise  modes  of  operation  of  divers  manures,  and  the  pe- 
culiar secretions  of  different  vegetables.  As  an  illustration, 
we  may  instance  the  fact  that  white  bush-beans,  which  con* 
tain  some  sixty  or  more  per  cent,  of  largely  nitrogenous  nutri- 
ment, are  so  commonly  raised  upon  poor  land  that  it  has  be- 
come proverbial  to  say  of  soil  absolutely  impoverished,  it  is 
"  too  poor  to  raise  white  beans." 

CLASSES  OP  MANURES. 

Manures  are  sometimes  conveniently  classified  as,  1st.  Ani- 
mal manures.  These  are  either  decaying  animal  matter,  fish, 
etc.,  or  they  are  certain  natural  or  prepared  manures,  in  which, 
with  the  other  ingredients,  animal  matter,  or  the  product  of  its 
putrefaction,  in  the  form  of  ammonia,  fixed  or  free,  may  to  some 
extent  abound,  as  ta-feu,  guano,  poudrette,  etc. 

They  are  regarded  as  powerful  stimulants  to  vegetation. 

2d.  Vegetable  manures.  These  are  stable  and  barn-yard 
manures,  green  crops,  swamp-muck,  etc.,  in  all  of  which  vege- 
table matter  predominates,  though  they  are  neither  destitute 
of  animal  matter  nor  free  from  admixture  of  earthy  matter  and 
salts.  They  are  especially  calculated  to  favor  and  promote  the 
growth  of  vegetables  as  distinguished  from  seeds  or  grain. 

3d.  Earthy  or  saline,  sometimes  called  specific  manures,  be- 
cause containing  only  one,  or,  at  most,  a  few  of  the  necessary  el- 
ements of  vegetable  growth.  These  are  lime,  gypsum,  or  sul- 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  61 

phate  of  lime,  ashes,  etc.,  in  which  earths  and  salts  are  almost 
exclusively  present ;  and  with  these  may  be  reckoned  charcoal 
(including  coal-cinders  or  coke),  though  perhaps,  chemically 
considered,  it  does  not  class  with  them,  its  chief  value  being 
supposed  to  consist  in  its  capacity  to  absorb  or  "  fix"  ammonia. 

These,  with  those  of  the  first  class,  are  regarded  as  peculiar- 
ly useful  in  the  production  of  the  seed  or  grain. 

Another  classification  sometimes  adopted,  which  has  some 
special  importance  in  garden  culture,  is  that  which  rates  ma- 
nures according  to  their  power  of  absorbing  moisture.  Those 
which  are  highly  absorbent,  as  the  manure  of  hogs,  oxen,  cows, 
etc.,  are  called  cooling  ;  and  those  which  are  less,  or  very  slight- 
ly so,  as  horse  manure,  are  called  heating.  'Of  those  classed 
above  as  earthy  or  saline  manures,  gypsum  and  charcoal  are 
the  most  powerful  absorbents,  and  these  are  also  distinguished 
by  their  capacity  to  fix  ammonia.  Perhaps  we  may  conclude 
that  their  power  in  the  one  case  is  a  gauge  or  indicator  of  their 
value  in  the  other. 

MANURES   SUITED   TO  VARIOUS  SOILS. 

Manures,  particularly  for  the  garden,  should  be  carefully 
adapted  to  the  soils  they  are  intended  to  enrich.  If  the  soil 
be  sandy  and  hot,  especially  if  it  be  sand  lying  upon  gravel, 
the  cold  and  moist  manures  above  named  are  greatly  to  be  pre- 
ferred, and  stable  manure  should  be  entirely  decomposed,  and 
reduced  almost  to  the  state  of  vegetable  mould  before  it  is  ap- 
plied. The  applications  of  manure  to  such  soil  should  be  fre- 
quent rather  than  heavy ;  and  ash  compost  and  liquid  manure 
applied  to  growing  crops  through  the  season  will  be  found  of 
especial  benefit. 

On  loamy  soils  there  is  a  wider  range  for  choice.  All  kinds 
of  manure  will  be  found  suitable,  their  application  being  reg- 
ulated by  the  necessities  of  the  particular  crop  or  season. 

On  cold  soils,  as  strong  loam  or  clay,  stable  manure  and  city 
street-manure  should  be  almost  exclusively  used,  wi%  dress- 
ings of  ashes,  guano,  etc.,  and,  if  possible,  the  soil  should  be 
mechanically  improved  by  the  frequent  addition  of  sand  or 
road-wash.  See  page  18. 


62  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

APPLICATION  OF  MANURES. 

As  a  general  rule,  barn-yard  manure,  including  that  from 
the  stable,  will  be  found  suitable  for  all  garden  purposes.  If 
well  rotted,  it  may  be  applied  unmixed  to  the  soil ;  or  it  may 
be  formed  into  compost,  for  doing  which  directions  will  be  found 
under  the  appropriate  head,  p.  63.  If  applied  in  an  uncomposted 
but  half-rotted  state,  it  should  be  laid  on  the  garden  at  the 
rate  of  from  forty  to  a  hundred  loads  to  the  acre,  at  the  earli- 
est possible  moment  after  spring  opens,  and  must  be  imme- 
diately dug  or  plowed  in.  The  subsequent  preparation  of  the 
ground  for  the  reception  of  crops  will  mix  it  sufficiently  with 
the  soil.  If  compost  be  used,  it  may  be  in  smaller  or  still 
larger  quantity  per  acre,  and  may  be  applied  to  the  land  as  the 
crops  are  about  to  be  put  in,  being  then  carefully  and  thor- 
oughly mixed  with  the  soil  in  the  process  of  its  preparation  for 
the  seeds  or  plants  intended  to  occupy  it. 

Animal  matter,  with  "  ta-feu,"  guano,  hen  manure,  poudrette, 
lime,  ashes,  and  the  other  earthy  and  saline  manures,  possess 
the  very  great  advantage  for  garden  use  of  being  free  from  weed- 
seeds,  and  on  this  account  are  desirable  as  far  as  they  can  prop- 
erly be  made  available  ;  but  it  must  not  be  imagined  that  they 
can  permanently  become  substitutes  for  ordinary  manure. 

Guano  and  hen  manure  that  has  been  kept  dry  are  safest 
when  used  in  compost  or  as  liquid  manure.  They  may  also  be 
sown  broadcast  upon  a  fresh,  rough  surface,  and  chopped,  raked, 
or  harrowed  in. 

Bone-dust,  lime,  leached  ashes,  home-made  or  from  the  soap- 
makers,  may  be  used  freely — say  from  twenty  to  sixty  bushels 
to  the  acre — either  lightly  plowed  in,  or  sown  upon  the  rough, 
freshly-plowed  surface,  and  mixed  in  by  a  thorough  harrowing. 

Unleashed  ashes  may  be  used  in  the  same  manner  at  half  the 
rate  per  acre,  or  applied  as  ash  compost.  See  p.  64. 

Ta-feu  and  poudrette,  the  former  being  about  double  the 
strengtji  of  the  latter,  should  be  sown  broadcast,  and  well  mixed 
with  tne  soil  in  the  final  harrowing  or  raking  previous  to  sow- 
ing or  setting  out ;  or  they  may  be  mixed  in  hills  prepared  for 
sowing  or  setting  plants,  one  or  two  good  handfuls  to  a  hill ; 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  63 

or  they  may  be  safely  sown  in  drills,  with  or  upon  the  seed,  at 
the  rate  of  one  light  handful  of  the  former  or  two  such  hand- 
fuls  of  the  latter  per  foot. 

When  sown  broadcast,  ta-feu  may  be  used  at  a  rate  varying 
from  one  to  five  barrels,  and  poudrette  from  ten  to  forty  barrels 
per  acre.  They  prove  efficient  aids  to  almost  every  variety  of 
vegetable  crop  ;  but  they  are  by  no  means  so  useful  if  their  ap- 
plication be  deferred  until  the  crop  is  growing,  unless  when 
mixed  in  hills  prepared  for  setting  out,  though  the  disadvan- 
tage may  be  partially  overcome  by  carefully  mixing  and  cov- 
ering them  in  the  earth  around  the  young  plants. 

MANURE   HEAP. 

.Every  homestead,  however  small,  should  have  upon  it  a  cor- 
ner or  hollow  where  refuse  matters  of  all  kinds  may  be  thrown 
together  as  they  accumulate,  upon  which  slops  may  be  thrown, 
and  ashes  sifted,  &c.,  &c.  In  the  course  of  the  year  a  pretty 
large  heap  of  valuable  manure,  or,  rather,  compost,  will  be  pre- 
pared, which  should  be  occasionally  turned  and  mixed  with 
good  earth. 

GARDEN  COMPOSTS. 

Ordinary  compost  for  garden  use  may  be  made  by  mixing  the 
manure  of  spent  hot  beds  with  equal  quantities  of  fresh  barn- 
yard or  stable  manure  and  swamp  muck,  or  sods  pared  from 
alongside  fences,  or  from  any  spot  where  water  often  settles.  To 
these  add  air-slaked  lime  equal  to  one  twentieth  of  the  whole 
bulk,  and  an  equal  quantity  of  unleached  ashes,  or  double  this 
quantity  of  leached,  and  throw  in  and  cover  any  decaying  animal 
matter  or  drainage  of  the  slaughter-house.  Watch  the  heap, 
keeping  a  stick  thrust  into  its  centre  to  serve  as  a  thermome- 
ter. Whenever,  on  withdrawing  the  stick,  you  find  it  getting 
hot,  turn  the  heap  over,  and  inside  out ;  reinsert  the  stick,  turn- 
ing the  whole  again  when  the  heat  begins  to  rise,  and  at  each 
time,  after  turning,  sow  plaster  (gypsum)  pretty  thickly  over  it. 
In  a  few  weeks,  if  the  weather  be  moderate  or  warm,  it  will 
be  ready  for  use. 

It  is  proper  to  observe  that  lime  should  be  mixed  with  stable 


64  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

or  barn-yard  manure  while  it  is  yet  cool,  and  not  after  ferment- 
ation has  made  much  progress,  or  while  the  process  is  going 
on,  otherwise  it  drives  off  instead  of  preserving  the  ammonia. 

ASH   COMPOST. 

Ash  compost  may  be  made  with  equal  parts  of  unleached 
ashes  and  gypsum,  carefully  mixed  or  sifted  together.  The 
mixture  should  be  kept  dry,  and  applied  to  crops  for  which  it 
is  suitable  before  rain,  either  full-handed,  broadcast,  or  a  good 
handful  to  each  hill  spread  over  it. 

GUANO   COMPOST,  &C. 

Guano  or  unleached  hen  manure,  mixed  with  one  half  the 
bulk  of  ground  gypsum  and  four  or  five  times  the  bulk  of  light, 
rich  loam,  the  whole  being  thoroughly  mixed  and  sifted  to- 
gether, and  allowed  to  lie  for  a  few  weeks  in  a  dry  place,  being 
turned  once  or  twice  in  that  time,  will  become  thoroughly  in- 
corporated, and  may  be  applied,  even  by  inexperienced  hands, 
without  the  risk  which  often  attends  their  use  in  an  unmixed 
state.  When  applied,  this  compost  should  be  covered,  and  not 
merely  spread  upon  the  hill  like  ash  compost. 

For  top-dressing  grain,  for  grass,  or  fruit-trees,  guano  should 
always  be  well  sifted  and  powdered,  and  mixed  with  at  least  so 
much  common  earth  as  may  serve  to  keep  down  its  unpleasant 
dust  in  sowing,  as  well  as  to  prevent  loss  by  wind.  In  this 
state  it  may  be  used  at  the  rate  of  two,  three,  or  four  hundred 
pounds  to. the  acre. 

For  flower  composts,  see  directions  under  that  head,  p.  443. 

LIQUID  MANURE.. 

Ordinary  liquid  manure  is  the  drainage  of  the  stable  or  the 
barn-yard,  preserved  in  a  tank  or  pond-hole,  and  applied  by 
means  of  a  sprinkling-cart  or  watering-pot.  Of  the  drainage 
from  the  stable,  each  forty  gallons  may  be  reckoned  worth  as 
much  as  an  ordinary  carman's  load  of  manure.  The  value  of 
barn-yard  drainings  is  very  variable,  depending  on  the  form 
and  soil  of  the  yard  bottom,  amount  of  exposure,  and  quantity 
of  rain. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  65 

For  special  uses,  it  has  long  been  a  practice  in  "  the  rural 
districts"  to  prepare  liquid  manure  artificially  by  putting  wa- 
ter upon  hen  manure  or  other  material  in  a  barrel,  stirring  it 
once  in  a  while,  and  using  it  when  it  has  settled  for  various 
crops,  particularly  onions,  for  the  raising  of  which  in  a  superior 
manner  it  has  had  for  fifty  years  a  sort  of  farmers'  patent.  It 
may,  however,  be  made  useful  to  almost  all  crops,  particularly 
upon  poor  land,  and  where  light  manuring  has  been  unavoid- 
able. In  a  tank,  such  as  that  described  p.  33,  it  is  easy  to  pre- 
pare it  in  quantity  by  adding  as  may  be  found  necessary  ma- 
nure from  the  hen-roost,  or  poudrette,  or  guano,  either  of  which, 
or  a  mixture  of  them,  may  be  used  in  the  proportion  of-  about 
one  barrel  of  either  of  the  two  former  or  twenty  pounds  of  the 
latter  to  a  hundred  gallons  of  water.  On  each  occasion  for  its 
use,  after  the  quantity  required  has  been  taken  out,  it  should 
be  thoroughly  stirred,  adding  water  or  manure,  if  necessary. 

It  may  be  made  in  a  barrel  at  discretion,  with  one  pound  of 
guano,  or  ta  -  feu,  to  from  three  to  five  gallons  of  water,  or- 
with  a  mixture  of  bone-dust  and  sheep  manure,  or  with  pou-- 
drette  and  hen  manure,  without  special  regard  to  proportions, 
but  applying  it  carefully  to  the  earth  around  the  plant,  and  not 
to  its  foliage.  With  this  view,  whenever  it  is  applied  to  grow- 
ing crops,  a  watering-pot  without  the  rose  should  be  used  ;  but 
in  applying  it  to  ground  that  is  not  sown,  or  in  which  the  seed 
has  not  yet  sprouted,  the  rose  should  be  upon  the  watering-pot. 
The  repeated  and  moderate  use  of  it  is  better  than  an  excessive 
supply  at  once,  and  evening  will  be  found  the  best  time  for  its 
application. 


66  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Eeproduction  in  wild  and  cultivated  Plants. — Vitality  of  Seeds  dependent 
on  certain  conditions. 

REPRODUCTION. 

No  clearer  statement  can  be  made  of  the  general  objects  of 
the  vast  vegetable  growth  covering  and  beautifying  our  earth 
than  that  furnished  by  the  pen  of  inspiration,  "He  causeth 
grass  to  grow  for  the  cattle,  and  herb  for  the  service  of  man, 
that  he  may  bring  forth  fruit  out  of  the  earth."  But  in  rela- 
tion to  each  separate  species  or  variety  of  plant,  an  inherent 
tendency  or  disposition  to  reproduction  is  its  special  and  most 
marked  peculiarity,  as  if  simple  self-perpetuation  and  multipli- 
cation in  its  offspring  were  the  sole  ends  of  its  existence, 
though  it  is  also  apparent  that  through  this  tendency  or  dis- 
position the  general  and  ultimate  objects  proposed  are  effectu- 
ally and  directly  reached. 

It  is  interesting  also  to  observe  that  this  tendency  or  dispo- 
sition to  reproduction  is  in  general  put  forth  freely  only  in  a 
single  channel ;  it  may  be  by  offshoots  or  by  seeds,  but  com- 
monly, if  freely  by  seeds,  then  not  largely  by  offshoots  ;  and  if 
by  offshoots,  whether  naturally  or  as  a  result  of  cultivation, 
then  not  freely  by  seeds. 

This  latter  result  is  not  uniformly  accompanied  by  a  destruc- 
tion or  disappearance  of  those  organs  of  the  plant  which  are 
necessary  to  the  production  of  seed,  for  a  few  seeds  are  often 
produced ;  but,  if  the  expression  may  be  allowed,  it  seems  to 
arise  from  a  change  in  the  direction  of  the  virile  force. 

Striking  illustrations  of  this  are  found  in  those  varieties  of 
onion  which  are.  cultivated  chiefly  for  their  offsets,  and  in  the 
giant  seedless  pie-plant ;  and  among  flowers,  by  the  tiger  lily 
(lilium  tigrinum),  in  which,  although  the  floral  organs  of  repro- 
duction are  full  and  prominent,  yet  no  seed  is  yielded  by  them, 
the  plant  being  increased  moderately  by  offshoots  or  dividings 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  67 

of  the  old  root,  and  largely  by  the  production  upon  the  stem, 
at  the  bases  of  the  leaves,  of  minute  but  perfect  bulbs,  which  at 
first  appear  like  small  black  buds.  These  are  gradually  loosen- 
ed from  the  stem,  and  in  due  time,  by  throwing  out  a  single 
root,  cant  themselves  over  on  one  side,  and  are  shaken  out  of 
their  parent  leaf-cup  by  the  slightest  wind'.  This  dislodgment 
being  effected,  the  second  or  companion-root  is  pushed  forth 
to  effect  the  self- planting  of  the  young  bulb. 

This  tendency  to  mere  increase,  in  whatever  way  it  may  be 
manifested,  is  satisfied,  as  we  ought  carefully  to  observe,  by 
the  most  scanty  growth  in  the  plant,  and  in  the  grain  with  the 
very  thinnest  coating  of  flesh,  or  even,  as  in  most  seeds,  by  the 
production  of  the  mere  germ  with  its  skin  covering. 

But  the  meagre  growth  of  the  wild  plant,  and  the  scanty 
covering  of  the  seed,  however  abundantly  sufficient  for  the  ab- 
solute necessities  of  simple  reproduction,  fail  utterly  to  meet 
the  demands  which  are  made  upon  them  for  support  and  com- 
fort by  the  increased  and  increasing  millions  of  mankind. 

To  obviate  this  difficulty,  the  efforts  of  cultivation  are  direct- 
ed to  the  increase  of  the  growth  of  the  plant,  or  the  enlarge- 
ment of  the  fleshy  substance  of  the  seed.  This  effort,  in  the 
various  grain-bearing  plants,  has  resulted  generally  in  an  in- 
crease both  of  the  plant-growth  and  of  the  grain,  without  any 
special  drawback ;  but  in  many  garden-plants  the  improved 
growth  of  the  vegetable  is  attained  at  the  expense  of  a  partial 
or  total  loss  of  the  power  of  seed  production. 

Thus  a  large,  finely-headed  cabbage  or  lettuce,  or  an  im- 
proved melon,  or  pumpkin,  or  cucumber,  will  be  likely  to  yield 
a  much  scantier  crop  of  seed  than  one  which  is  inferior. 

The  same  law  holds  among  flowers.  Almost  all  wild  flow- 
ers are  single,  and  these,  as  well  as  the  inferior  single  flowers 
of  cultivated  varieties,  seed  freely ;  but  from  those  fine  double 
flowers  which  cultivation  has  produced,  it  is  often  very  difficult 
to  obtain  seed  at  all,  as  is  often  experienced  in  the  case  of  su- 
perior balsams,  pinks,  &c. 

VITALITY   OF   SEEDS. 

The  vital  principle  of  a  seed  resides  in  its  germ,  which  is  a 


08  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

perfectly-formed  but  minute  plant  of  its  specific  variety.  It 
seems  probable  that  under  suitable  conditions  the  vitality  of 
most  small  seeds  might  be  retained  for  an  indefinite  period,  ex- 
tending even  to  many  centuries,  as  in  the  "  mummy  wheat,"" 
the  seeds  thrown  up  from  far  below  the  earth's  surface,  or  those 
which,  being  largely  diffused  through  the  surface  soil,  vegetate 
where  they  had  been  unknown  for  ages,  when  opened  to  the 
sun's  influence  and  supplied  with  appropriate  stimulus,  or  when 
the  long-flooded  upland  produces  swamp  plants. 

The  strength  and  continuance  of  this  vital  principle  in  seeds 
depends  on  a  great  variety  of  circumstances  in  their  production 
and  storing.  Seeds  imperfectly  ripened  or  insufficiently  dried, 
as  is  not  unfrequently  the  case  with  imported  European  seeds 
and  grains,  even  after  they  have  passed  through  the  process  of 
a  moderate  kiln-drying,  though  they  may  be  of  fine,  plump  ap- 
pearance, yet  will  not,  in  general,  bear  keeping.  Seeds  that 
have  in  any  manner  become  damp  and  heated,  or  musty,  are 
risky  or  worthless ;  or  if  kept  in  a  very  hot  place  in  vessels  or 
packages  through  which  evaporation  goes  on  freely,  or  contin- 
ued in  it  so  long  that  the  heat  itself  induces  a  change  in  the 
chemical  condition  of  the  seed,  they  may  lose  the  vital  power. 
Tables  professing  to  give  the  various  ages  to  which  different 
seeds  may  be  kept  are  therefore  of  little  value  ;  but,  assuming 
that  seeds  are  well  ripened  and  stored  with  ordinary  care,  most 
kinds  may  be  safely  sown  at  five,  and  many  at  ten  years  old. 

As  in  trees  checking  the  exuberance  of  growth  induces  dis- 
position to  fruitfulness,  so  it  has  come  to  be  regarded  as  a 
general  rule  that  plants,  particularly  of  the  more  luxuriant 
kinds,  if  raised  from  seeds  which  have  been  kept  a  year  or 
two,  run  less  to  mere  plant  growth,  and  are  more  productive  in 
fruit  or  seed  than  those  raised  from  new  seeds.  Upon  this 
theory  cucumber  and  melon  seeds  intended  for  planting  in 
frames  are  carefully  kept  for  many  years  by  persons  curious  in 
such  matters,  and  sometimes,  when  for  any  reason  it  is  desired 
to  use  them  prematurely,  artificial  drying  is  resorted  to  as  an 
equivalent. 

In  most  seeds,  however,  age  seems  only,  or  at  least  chiefly, 
to  affect  the  length  of  the  period  required  for  their  germina- 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  69 

tion ;  as,  for  illustration,  turnip  seed  sown  fresh  from  the  pod 
in  August  may  vegetate  in  forty-eight  hours,  while  that  which 
is  two  years  old,  sown  at  the  same  time,  will  require  four  or 
six  days,  or  more.  But  peas  two  years  old  not  only  require 
longer  time  to  vegetate ;  they  are  also  expected  to  grow  with 
shorter  vines,  and  yield  an  earlier  and  more  abundant  crop  of 
seed. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Vegetable  Forms,  Importance  of;  Original;  Improvements  in. — Vegeta- 
bles, Color  of;  Deterioration  of;   Stock  or  Character  of. 

VEGETABLE  FORMS. 

THE  form  of  certain  vegetables  is  of  importance  on  various 
accounts.  It  affects  the  cost  of  production  and  the  weight  of 
crop.  It  sometimes  indicates  quality,  and  often  settles  at 
once  the  desirableness  or  undesirableness  of  a  particular  varie- 
ty, either  for  the  cook  or  the  cultivator,  or  for  both. 

Excepting  the  small  wild  bulb  from  which  the  onion  has 
been  obtained,  and  not  forgetting  that  the  parsnep  and  carrot, 
in  their  wild  state,  are  somewhat  fleshy,  we  may  assume  that 
all  swelling,  fleshy  rooting  or  heading  vegetables  originally 
threw  downward  a  single  hard,  wiry  root,  as  the  burdock,  or 
upward  a  single  and  almost  naked  stem,  as  the  wild  lettuce. 

In  all  these,  cultivation,  working  sometimes  blindly,  and  at 
others  with  precalculation  of  results,  has  produced  various 
striking  changes.  The  leaf  of  the  well -cultivated  cabbage  has 
become  thick  and  marrowy,  and  it  has  acquired  a  habit  of  head- 
ing before  throwing  up  its  seed-stalk. 

In  the  beet,  turnip,  etc.,  we  find  a  habit  of  fleshy  enlarge- 
ment or  swelling.  So  great  is  the  change  thus  induced  that, 
instead  of  a  naked,  hard  root  or  stem,  we  have  vegetable  forms 
advancing  from  this  by  various  gradations,  until  the  root 
spreads  itself  horizontally  to  a  thin,  flat  form.  The  change 
has,  in  fact,  proceeded  beyond  this,  and  shown  us  forms,  as  in 
some  varieties  of  the  turnip,  concave  on  one  or  both  sides,  of 
which  latter  the  yellow  Malta  is  an  illustration.  Figure  80 1, 
page  186. 


70  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

But  the  form  of  any  rooting  or  heading  vegetable  may,  by 
neglect  of  proper  treatment,  reapproximate  to  the  natural  form 
of  the  plant  in  its  uncultivated  state,  becoming  branched  and 
fibrous  in  its  roots,  as  figures  80  c,  d,  page  186,  or  thin  and 
wiry,  as  Fig.  76  c,  p.  131,  Fig.  78  a,  p.  161,  and  in  danger  of 
losing  character  entirely  as  a  fleshy  vegetable,  and  running  to 
a  mere  tap  or  brush  root.  The  cabbage  or  lettuce,  on  the  other 
hand,  when  its  head  assumes  the  form  of  a  cone,  is  approxi- 
mating to  a  loose,  headless  growth,  like  that  of  the  kale,  or  the 
rape,  or  the  wild  lettuce. 

For  the  purposes  of  this  work,  it  may  suffice  to  note  the  in- 
termediate stages  between  the  wild  form  and  that  which  we 
have  designated  as  the  flat  (Fig.  80  h,  p.  186) ;  and  it  will  per- 
haps be  convenient  if,  for  the  present,  we  assume  this  to  be  the 
maximum  of  the  change  which  cultivation  has  effected. 

The  advantages  of  this  form  are  that  it  matures  quickly, 
scarcely  ever  fails  to  yield  a  crop,  and,  in  root  crops,  is  easily 
gathered,  even  after  some  other  forms  may  have  been  frozen  in ; 
that  it  measures  well,  i.  e.,  seems  to  yield  largely ;  and  that, 
whether  in  the  lot  or  in  the  market,  it  "  shows  for  all  it  is 
worth."  Its  disadvantages  are,  that  it  really  yields  but  light- 
ly or  moderately,  and  that  it  is  "  unprofitable"  in  the  hands  of 
our  cooks.  Some  of  them  would  peel  it  to  semi-transparency. 

The  shape  intermediate  between  the  flat  and  the  globe,  the 
cheese  form,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  or,  in  the  language  of 
Geometry,  the  flattened  spheroid  (Fig.  80  g,  p.  186),  has  about 
all  the  advantages  we  have  enumerated  for  the  flat,  without 
any  drawback  upon  them  farther  than  that,  in  general,  it  may 
be  expected  to  mature  a  little  later. 

The  round  or  globe  form  (Fig.  80/),  it  would  seem,  should  be 
regarded  as  the  standard  of  excellence,  since  it  affords  a  larger 
amount  of  solid  contents  in  proportion  to  its  surface  than  any 
other ;  but,  notwithstanding,  this  might  be  taken  to  imply 
that  it  would  also  yield  largely  ;  such  is  not  generally  the  fact. 
Roots  that  .take  this  form  have  almost  always,  too,  a  habit  of 
underground  growth,  looking  as  if  they  were  moulded  by  the 
equal  pressure  of  the  earth  upon  them,  and  this  renders  them 
comparatively  difficult  to  gather,  especially  in  frosty  weather  ; 


AMEEICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  71 

while  a  globe  that  grows  above  ground  is  seldom  of  first-rate 
quality.  It  is  a  good  form,  but  not  the  standard. 

Receding  from  the  globe,  we  find  the  "  heart"  form,  the 
lower  portion  of  the  globe  elongated,  and  tapering  to  a  strong, 
deep  root,  Fig.  80  e,  p.  186.  The  heaviest  croppers  are  mostly 
of  this  form  ;  but  its  usually  large  top  and  coarse  habit,  togeth- 
er with  the  difficulty  of  gathering,  in  respect  to  which  it  is  as 
bad  or  worse  than  the  globe,  render  it  undesirable. 

The  egg  form  is  desirable  as  an  improvement  upon  the  heart- 
shaped  in  roots  that  have  not  yet  been  brought  to  better  forms. 
In  ruta-baga  the  obtuse  egg  form,  Fig.  80  &,  p.  186,  is  at  present 
perhaps  the  best  that  is  found  in  general  cultivation,  although 
occasionally  very  superior  single  roots  are  met  with  which  are 
nearly  globular  in  form,  and  without  the  habit  of  wholly  bury- 
ing themselves  in  the  earth  during  growth. 

There  are  uncouth,  or  fancy  forms,  such,  for  instance,  as 
Dale's  hybrid,  Fig.  80  a,  p.  186,  which,  while  they  serve  as  a 
distinctive  mark  of  certain  kinds,  have  little  or  nothing  else  to 
recommend  them  above  others.  Originators  of  new  varieties 
and  others  interested  directly  or  indirectly  are  apt  to  favor 
such,  and  generally  claim  for  them  some  peculiar  merit ;  but 
the  aim  of  the  true  cultivator  should  be  to  combine  superiority 
of  quality  with  excellence  of  form,  and  this  experience  has 
shown  to  be  readily  attainable. 

In  heading  vegetables  the  same  changes  and  varieties  of  form 
are  found.  The  cabbage,  and  lettuce,  &c.,  are  either  loose  col- 
lections of  leaves,  or  screw  form,  or  conical,  or  heart-shaped,  or 
globular,  or  cheese-shaped,  or  flat.  Of  these  the  heart-shaped 
for  early,  and  the  cheese  form  or  the  globular  for  winter  cab- 
bages, and  among  lettuces  the  screw  and  the  globe  forms,  may 
be  regarded  as  the  best,  and  no  plant  of  them  which  does  not 
come  near  or  up  to  this  standard  should  be  used  in  the  produc- 
tion of  seed. 

COLOR  OF  VEGETABLES. 

Although  in  rooting  vegetables  color  as  well  as  form  may 
seem  to  be  of  secondary  importance,  yet  the  practical  cultivator 
is  aware  that  it  is  so  commonly  associated  with  certain  quali- 


72  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

ties  or  characteristics  that  he  seldom  or  never  omits  it  as  an 
item  in  his  estimate  of  the  value  of  any  given  variety.  Thus, 
if  a  carrot  be  of  a  light  or  lemon  color,  he  infers  that  it  lacks 
richness  of  flavor ;  if  a  beet  be  streaked  with  white,  he  con- 
cludes that,  however  valuable  it  may  be  for  early  use,  on  ac- 
count of  its  free  growth,  it  will  prove  strong,  or,  at  best,  want- 
ing in  sweetness  when  kept  for  winter  use ;  and  in  respect  to 
turnips,  he  is.  familiar  with  the  fact  that,  other  things  being 
equal,  the  yellow  varieties  are  uniformly  richer  and  sweeter 
than  the  white. 

DETERIORATION. 

There  is  an  ever-recurring  tendency  in  improved  seeding 
vegetables  backward  to  their  primitive  condition  as  mere  self- 
reproducers  ;  and  here,  as  in  the  matter  of  vegetable  forms,  the 
constant  effort  of  the  cultivator  is  required  to  counteract  this 
tendency,  with  this  difference,  however,  in  the  mere  business 
view  of  it,  that  while  it  is  almost  always  the  interest  of  the 
cultivator  to  improve  vegetable  forms  to  the  utmost,  the  dimin- 
ished average  product  of  seed  from  such  improved  varieties  con- 
stitutes a  standing  and  strong  temptation  to  the  mere  seed- 
raiser  to  permit  this  natural  deterioration  to  occur,  quantity  in 
the  yield  being  generally  the  measure  of  his  business  profits. 

This  retrograde  tendency  may  be  suddenly  stimulated  and 
strengthened  by  various  causes  in  the  different  kinds  of  vegeta- 
bles. In  peas,  beans,  and  the  various  running  vines,  it  often 
becomes  apparent  in  a  single  season,  when  the  seed  is  saved 
from  the  later  portions  of  the  crop,  the  earlier  product  having 
been  eaten  while  comparatively  rare,  or  sold  before  the  market 
became  glutted.  Such  seeds  produce  what  may  properly  be 
termed  new  and  debased  varieties,  "  early  peas"  that  are  late 
and  unprolific,  or  "  six-week  beans"  that  in  sixteen  weeks  may 
possibly  ripen  a  scattering  and  scanty  crop. 

A  similar  effect,  though  not  always  equal  in  degree,  is  pro- 
duced when  plants  which,  being  properly  biennial,  ought  to 
"  bottom,"  as  the  turnip,  or  "  head,"  as  the  cabbage,  are  sown 
at  unsuitable  seasons,  and  in  consequence  are  driven  up  to  seed 
without  these  important  preliminary  processes.  Thus  very 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  73 

late-sown  turnips  are  often  found  to  stand  the  winter  unharmed, 
and  at  the  opening  of  spring  to  run  immediately  up  to  seed. 
Early  cabbage-plants  that  have  been  wintered  also  exhibit  this 
tendency.  Very  early-sown  beets  and  carrots  often  throw  up 
seed-stems  in  the  course  of  the  first  summer.  Such  seeds  ac- 
quire an  obstinate  impulse  in  the  wrong  direction,  which  years 
of  careful  cultivation  will  scarcely  suffice  to  overcome. 

Climate  has  also  an  important  influence  in  this  respect. 
Heavy  oats  are  not  commonly  raised  in  a  hot,  dry  climate.  In 
such  a  climate,  fleshy,  thick-leaved  summer  cabbages,  of  which 
the  seed  is  saved  through  consecutive  seasons,  are  not  perpetu- 
ated, but,  losing  their  improved  cabbage  habit,  become  leathery 
and  worthless ;  and  radishes  are  apt  to  become  mere  sticks ; 
though,  in  regard  to  the  latter,  it  is  probable  that,  if  it  were 
deemed  worth  while,  this  climatic  injury  might  be  counteracted 
by  wintering  the  seed-roots,  or  by  a  vigorous  system  of  trans- 
planting them  with  care  and  frequency.  The  refusal  of  lettuces 
to- head  finely  when  sown  so  late  as  to  carry  the  period  of  ma- 
turing beyond  the  warmth  of  spring  into  the  strong  heat  of 
summer,  is  due  to  the  same  cause. 

STOCK  OR  CHARACTER. 

When,  in  speaking  generally,  we  say  that  certain  vegetables 
are  of  "  good  stock,"  we  mean  that  they  are  of  good  quality  for 
consumption,  and,  with  ordinary  care,  productive.  But  when 
we  use  this  expression  in  reference  to  a  particular  variety,  we 
may  or  may  not  include  the  idea  of  its  intrinsic  character ;  but 
we  always  mean  that  it  has  the  true  form,  and  the  quality, 
whether  good  or  bad,  of  its  proper  variety,  and  is  in  all  respects 
free  from  intermixture.  We  sometimes  in  this  connection  call 
it,  perhaps  more  accurately,  "  pure"  or  "  genuine  stock."  In 
this  work  the  terms  "  good  stock"  are  intended  to  express  both 
excellence  of  character  and  purity  of  kind. 

From  what  has  been  remarked,  it  becomes  plain  that  it  is 
even  more  important  to  obtain  seeds  of  good  stock  than  seeds 
that  will  be  certain  to  grow.  It  is  also  plain  that  there  is  some 
extra  risk  of  injury  to  seeds  raised  in  private  or  market  gar- 
dens, from  which  vegetables  are  gathered  for  use  or  sale ;  so 

D 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


that,  on  the  whole,  it  will  be  found  wiser  to  obtain  them  from 
seedsmen  of  reliable  character,  whose  interests  are  also  promoted 
by  the  sale  of  really  good  seeds,  and  who  may  be  assumed  to 
understand  and  apply  to  their  production  those  principles  upon 
which  their  excellence  depends. 


CHAPTER  VH. 

Fertilization,  in  perfect,  monoecious,  and  dioecious  Flowers. — Necessary  to 
the  Production  of  perfect  Seed. — Modes  of  natural  and  artificial  Fertil- 
ization.— Production  of  new  Varieties  of  Vegetables. 

FERTILIZATION. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


75 


or,  The  Apple  Blossom,  a  common  perfect  or  bisexual  Flower. 
&,  Cucumber  Blossoms,  a  monoecious  Plant. 

1,  The  Fertilizer,  or  false  Blossom. 

2,  The  fertile  Blossom  attached  to  the  young  Fruit. 

c,  The  Fertilizer,  or  false  Hop-vine,  with  its  blossoms,  \ 

d,  The  fertile  Hop-vine,  its  blossoms  being  hid  between  the  > 

scales  of  the  "  Hop,"  ) 


a  dioecious 
Plant. 


The  following  figures  present  the  arrangement  of  the  various 
floral  organs  without  their  petals,  and  are  inserted  for  farther 
and  clearer  illustration. 


Fig.  61. 


1,  A  perfect  or  bisexual  Blossom. 

2,  Monoecious  Blossoms,  on  the  same  Root. 

3,  4,  Dioecious  Blossoms,  on  separate  Roots. 

a,  a,  a,  Fertilizing  Organs,  or  Stamens. 
&,  &,  &,  Fertile  Organs,  or  Pistils. 

All  flowers  have  a  sexual  character,  that  is,  they  are  fur- 
nished with  fertilizing  or  fertile  organs,  or  both,  known  in  bot- 
any as  stamens  and  pistils.  For  the  most  part,  these  organs 
grow  together  in  each  individual  blossom,  as  in  the  apple  and 
all  our  common  fruit-trees,  the  flowers  of  which  are  perfect  or 
bisexual.  Flowers  of  this  class  are  distinguished  in  botany  by 
the  number  and  peculiar  character  of  these  organs,  which  vary 
in  the  different  Linnaean  orders  from  a  single  stamen  and  pistil 
to  an  indefinite  number  of  each  (Figs.  60  a,  61, 1). 

In  some  cases  they  reside  in  separate  blossoms,  though  upon 
the  same  root,  as  in  corn,  melons,  cucumbers,  &c.,  Figs.  60  Z>, 
61,  2 ;  the  topgallant  in  corn,  what  are  called  false  blossoms 
in  cucumbers,  and  melons,  the  catkins  of  the  birch  and  hazel, 
&c.,  being  only  the  fertilizers,  which  of  themselves  bear  no 
fruit.  These  plants  are  called  in  botany  "  monoecious,"  or  of 
one  house.  In  others  they  are  borne  upon  separate  roots,  as  in 


76' 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


the  hop,  &c.,  Figs.  60  c,  d,  61,  3,  4 ;  asparagus,  spinach,  the 
papaw  also,  and  persimmon,  often  the  sassafras,  and  some  vari- 
eties of  our  wild  grape-vines,  are  of  this  character.  These  are 
known  as  "  dioecious,"  or  of  two  houses,  the  whole  plant  bear- 
ing the  fertilizers  being  fruitless. 

In  mere  seed  or  grain-bearing  plants,  the  fertilization  of  the 
fruit-bearing  flower  or  its  equivalent  organs — for  some  plants 
do  not  produce  flowers,  properly  so  called — is  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  obtaining  product.  Thus,  where  single  spears  or  hills 
of  corn  stand  far  apart  from  others,  the  ears  never  fill,  because, 
whichever  way  the  wind  may  draw,  the  fertilizing  powder, 
as  it  falls  from  the  topgallant,  is  carried  away,  and  but  little 
of  it  settles  upon  and  fertilizes  the  silk,  each  thread  of  which 
connects  with  an  incipient  grain,  and  hence  the  failure. 

In  the  various  fruit-bearing  plants,  the  fertilization  of  the 
fruit-bearing  flower  is  equally  essential  to  the  production  of 
perfect  seed,  and  generally  it  may  be  regarded  as  important  to 
the  formation  of  fruit,  inasmuch  as  the  latter,  being  a  mere  ap- 
pendage or  covering  for  the  former,  may  be  supposed  likely  to 
fail  with  it ;  and  such,  in  general,  is  the  fact.  The  first  drop- 
ping of  young  fruit,  which,  even  after  an  abundant  show  of 
blossoms,  sometimes  extends  to  the  whole  orchard  crop,  is,  I 
believe,  mainly  due  to  the  imperfection  or  total  failure  of  the 
fertilization,  whether  this  arises  from  drought  and  glaring  sun- 
shine, from  unseasonable  cold,  an  inopportune  storm,  or  from 
other  less  manifest  causes ;  all  such  dropped  fruit  is  seedless 
or  germless.  But  at  least  a  partial  crop  of  fruit  may  be  ob- 
tained where  this  fertilization  has  not  been  effected,  as  we 
sometimes  find  apples  without  seeds  in  the  core ;  and  in  the 
larger  vegetable  fruits,  as  melons,  &c.,  which  are  mainly  re- 
sults of  cultivation,  it  is  easily  conceivable  that,  without  fer- 
tilization of  the  flower,  fruit  may  be  produced,  yielding,  how- 
ever, only  shriveled  and  abortive  seeds,  or  such  as,  if  appa- 
rently full  formed,  yet  actually  lack  the  essential  germ,  and 
are,  of  course,  without  vitality.  The  "  fig-apple,"  as  it  is  called 
by  Duhamel,  which  has  only  pistils,  being  destitute  of  stamens, 
as  well  as  without  petals,  bears  fair  and  tolerable  fruit,  but  never 
yields  seeds.  In  these  exceptional  cases  of  fruitful  nonfertil- 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  77 

ization  it  commonly  happens  that  the  fruit  loses  size,  though 
it  does  not  entirely  perish.  Of  this  the  white  Corinth  or  Kis- 
mishi  grape,  from  which  the  seedless  Sultana  raisins  are  made, 
furnishes  an  interesting  illustration.  Its  flowers  are  perfect  or 
bisexual,  yet,  from  some  cause  as  yet  undiscovered,  it  never 
produces  seed,  and,  although  its  clusters  are  of  fair  size,  the 
fruit  upon  them  is  not  much  larger  than  common  currants  ;  but, 
as  we  might  expect  in  connection  with  this  defective  reproduc- 
tion in  the  ordinary  channel,  the  luxuriance  and  vigor  of  its 
plant-growth  is  prodigious. 

INTERMIXTURE. 

From  this  sexual  character  in  flowers  arises  the  possibility 
and  danger  of  intermixture  of  kinds.  This,  however,  is  limited 
to  species  that  are  kindred  to  one  another,  which  is  generally 
indicated  by  a  certain  similarity  in  the  appearance  or  construc- 
tion of  their  flowers.  Thus  the  varieties  of  cabbage,  turnip, 
rape,  and  probably  radish,  all  bearing  cruciform  flowers,  read- 
ily intermix,  when  blossoming  at  the  same  time  in  close  prox- 
imity, as  in  small  private  gardens,  or  whenever  planted  care- 
lessly near  to  each  other  for  seeding.  Cucumbers,  melons, 
pumpkins,  &c.,  are  equally  liable  to  intermixture  in  similar 
circumstances.  The  product  of  seeds  so  raised  becomes  a  mon- 
grel and  usually  worthless  combination ;  but  cabbages  and 
beets,  or  cucumbers  and  onions,  &c.,  &c.,  never  intermix,  there 
being  no  congruity  or  affiliation  between  them.  Certain  plants 
also,  which  seem  to  possess  this  congruity,  are  not  known  to 
intermix,  as  the  apple  and  pear,  the  currant  and  gooseberry, 
&c.  The  reason  of  this  it  does  not  seem  easy  to  find. 

In  many  flowers  the  organs  of  fertility  are  comparatively  ob- 
scure or  hidden  by  their  peculiar  arrangement ;  yet  intermix- 
ture occurs  readily  among  them,  as  in  the  various  kinds  of  peas, 
and  bush-beans,  many  new  varieties  of  which  have  originated 
incidentally  through  careless  planting  or  the  sowing  of  min- 
gled seed. 

Sometimes  the  intermixture  of  kinds,  whether  by  natural  or 
artificial  fertilization,  is  imperfect,  and  the  new  variety  contin- 
ues for  years  to  be  unsettled  in  character ;  or,  instead  of  one 


78  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

new  variety,  we  obtain  two,  or  even  three,  by  easy  selection,  as 
in  the  case  of  the  black,  and  white,  and  common  mercer  pota- 
toes, which,  though  differing  in  appearance,  are  nearly  similar 
in  character,  and  all  from  one  stock. 

MODES  OF  NATURAL  FERTILIZATION. 
Natural  fertilization  is  effected  in  flowers  containing  both 
the  fertilizing  and  fertile  organs  by  such  an  arrangement  of 
the  parts  as  secures  the  deposition  of  the  pollen  or  fructifying 
powder  shed  by  the  former  upon  the  latter,  sometimes  as  it  de- 
scends, and  at  others  as  it  ascends,  and  in  some  flowers  it  is 
scattered  upon  them  by  an  explosive  force  or  bursting.  In 
monoecious  and  dioecious  plants  the  pollen  is  shed  usually  in 
great  abundance  by  the  fertilizer,  and,  floating  in  the  air,  or 
borne  by  the  wind,  aided  perhaps  by  magnetic  or  chemical  at- 
traction, finds  its  appropriate  place.  This  may  be  seen  at  once 
in  any  corn-lot  when  the  ears  are  in  full  silk,  the  exposed  end 
of  each  fibre  of  which  is  then  dusted  with  the  powder  from  the 
topgallant.  Bees  and  other  insects  also  carry  the  pollen  upon 
them  from  flower  to  flower  as  they  seek  their  food,  and  thus 
accomplish  the  same  end. 

MODES  OF  ARTIFICIAL  FERTILIZATION. 

Flowers  of  vegetables  and  of  fruits  are  artificially  fertilized 
by  precisely  similar  processes,  which  may  be  described  as  fol- 
lows: 

In  all  perfect  flowers — that  is,  those  in  which  the  fertilizing 
and  the  fertile  organs  reside  in  the  same  blossom — watch  care- 
fully the  time  of  the  natural  opening  of  the  flower  you  wish  to 
fertilize,  and  just  as,  or  before  it  fully  opens,  insert  the  points 
of  a  very  small  pair  of  scissors,  and  clip  off  and  carry  away  all 
the  stamens,  leaving  the  pistils  alone,  entire,  and  uninjured. 
When  this  is  accomplished,  take  a  newly-opened  but  full  flow- 
er of  the  kind  with  which  you  desire  to  fertilize ;  cut  off,  if  nec- 
essary, all  the  petals  or  flower-leaves,  and  place  it  within  the 
blossom  to  be  fertilized  ;  or,  without  removing  its  petals,  place 
it  as  a  cap  over  the  former  in  such  a  manner  that  its  stamens 
may  surround,  or  at  least  be  near  to  the  pistil. 


, 
AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  79 

This  fertilizing  flower,  if  it  withers,  may  be  repeatedly  renew- 
ed, or  rather  replaced  by  fresh  flowers,  until  the  flower-leaves 
of  the  other  begin  to  fade  or  fall.  It  is  plain  that  erect  blos- 
soms, especially  on  fruit-trees,  should  be  chosen  for  this  opera- 
tion, so  that  the  fertilizing  flower  may  rest  securely  in  its 
place. 

There  is  a  more  scientific  mode  of  fertilization,  in  which  this 
latter  precaution  is  not  essential.  It  is  to  prepare  the  blossom 
you  intend  to  fertilize  as  above  directed,  and,  taking  care  to 
mark  the  time  of  its  maturing,  which  will  be  about  the  fore- 
noon of  the  day  in  which  the  blossom  becomes  naturally  full- 
blown, take  one  or  more  of  the  fertilizing  flowers  in  the  ripe 
state — that  is,  when  the  stamens  willingly  shed  their  pollen 
or  dust,  and,  gathering  this  upon  a  fine  camel-hair  pencil,  ap- 
ply it  lightly  but  freely  to  the  top  of  the  pistil  or  stigma. 

A  very  little  observation  and  practice  will  enable  one  to 
adopt  this  mode  successfully.  The  general  security  for  the 
result  will  also  be  increased  by  fertilizing  several  blossoms  in 
a  bunch,  and  removing  the  rest,  or  even  all  the  bunches  upon 
a  small  branch,  reducing  the  number  of  the  blossoms  in  each. 
To  prevent  the  intrusion  of  insects,  fix  over,  but  not  in  contact 
with  them,  a  gauze  net,  spread  upon  a  wooden  frame,  of  any  nec- 
essary form  and  size,  which  should  be  securely  braced  to  the 
tree  or  branch  so  as  to  bear  the  wind,  which  may  be  left  in  its 
place  until  the  fruit  sets. 

In  plants  that  are  monoecious,  as  melons,  cucumbers,  etc.,  or 
dioecious,  as  some  grape-vines,  it  is  only  necessary  to  set  the 
plants,  to  be  fertilized  by  themselves,  at  least  a  hundred  yards 
distance  from  any  others  of  the  same  kind,  and,  taking  off  and 
carrying  away  all  the  mere  fertilizers,  or  false  blossoms,  as  they 
are  commonly  called,  bring  flowers  from  other  plants  and  fer- 
tilize them  by  either  of  the  processes  described  above,  and  with 
similar  precautions  against  insects. 

PRODUCTION  OF  NEW  VARIETIES  OF  VEGETABLES. 

The  tendency  of  seeds  to  deterioration  and  intermixture, 
whether  arising  from  their  necessary  proximity  in  small  gar- 
dens, or  from  the  interest,  the  ignorance,  or  the  carelessness  of 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

cultivators,  gives  importance  to  the  production  of  improved  va- 
rietie*s. 

This  is  most  commonly  effected  by  careful  and  long-contin- 
ued SELECTION,  to  which  high  culture  should  be  superadded, 
in  which  we  continually  choose  the  most  perfect  or  earliest 
plant,  or  fruit,  or  pod  from  which  to  obtain  our  seed. 

Upon  this  latter  principle  rests  the  old  familiar  rule  of  tak- 
ing for  seed  the  cucumber  or  melon  growing  nearest  to  the 
root,  etc.  This  rule,  however,  is  seldom  rigidly  adhered  to,  and, 
if  it  were,  would  naturally  tend  to  produce  an  earlier  but  small- 
er-fruited variety  than  the  original. 

Perhaps  the  most  promising  course  for  improvement  is  to 
choose  the  second,  and  generally  finer  fruit  for  seed ;  or,  if  the 
object  be  simply  to  avoid  depreciating  the  variety,  the  whole 
crop,  being  left  ungathered  from  the  first,  will  yield  satisfac- 
tory seed.  Unless,  indeed,  it  should  happen  that  from  pecul- 
iar circumstances  the  plant  makes  a  very  extended  or  a  sec- 
ond growth,  in  which  case  the  earlier  product  alone  should  be 
permitted  to  seed. 

New  and  improved  varieties  are  also  sometimes  obtained  by 
careful  and  intelligent  INTERMIXTURE,  in  which  we  aim  to 
combine  the.  desirable  qualities  of  both  the  old  varieties  in  the 
new  one  we  expect  as  the  product.  This  valuable  result  is 
also  sometimes  effected  accidentally.  In  such  intermixture  the 
general  rule  is  that  the  product  will  have  the  form  and  ap- 
pearance of  the  fertilizer,  with  the  character  or  peculiarities 
of  the  fruit-bearing  plant.  To  illustrate  this :  Very  early  peas 
are  generally  small.  Suppose  we  desire  to  produce  a  variety 
in  which  the  seed  should  be  larger,  but  the  crop  not  materially 
later.  Then,  on  the  general  rule  given,  we  may  fertilize  the 
cedo  nulli  with  the  Spanish  dwarf,  and  expect  to  accomplish 
our  purpose  ;  but  if  we  fertilize  the  latter  with  the  former  we 
ought  not  to  expect  success,  though  it  is  not  inconceivable  that 
we  might  succeed,  from  the  accidental  concurrence  of  certain 
occult  causes  or  combinations  connected  with  the  previous  proc- 
esses through  which  these  varieties  may  have  passed  in  ar- 
riving at  their  present  state. 

Intermixture  is  effected  only  between  kinds  that  blossom  at 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  81 

the  same  time ;  and  it  is  probably  from  blooming  a  little  out 
of  the  ordinary  season  that  certain  kinds  of  peaches,  and  per- 
haps also  apples,  often  or  constantly  reproduce  seedlings  like 
themselves.  The  several  sub-varieties  of  the  Newtown  pippin 
apple, -and  other  valuable  fruits,  sometimes  attributed  to  soil, 
etc.,  are  probably  the  results  of  exclusive  and  perfect  self-fer- 
tilization in  isolated  blossoms. 

New  varieties  are  not  unfrequently  obtained  by  TRANSFER 
to  a  different  climate.  In  a  period  more  or  less  prolonged,  the 
plant  becomes  acclimated,  and  its  habit  fixed  in  conformity 
with  its  new  circumstances,  and  on  being  returned  to  its  for- 
mer latitude  it  can  not  be  identified  as  one  with  the  variety 
from  which  it  sprang.  The  early  Canada  pea  is  an  instance 
of  this,  being  the  early  frame  pea  raised  for  a  series  of  years 
in  Canada. 

The  effect  is  precisely  analogous  to  that  induced  without 
change  of  climate  by  taking  only  the  very  first  formed  pods 
for  seed.  The  maturing  of  the  crop  is  hastened,  but  its  size 
and  yield  somewhat  reduced. 

Transfer  to  a  southern  climate  tends,  of  course,  in  the  oppo- 
site direction.  All  this,  however,  would  be  greatly  affected  by 
the  absolute  natural  fitness  or  unfitness  of  the  climate  to  pro- 
duce the  crop  which  it  is  sought  to  change. 

New  varieties  are  occasionally  produced  by  DISEASE,  which 
becomes  hereditary,  but  of  these  it  is  not  worth  while  to  speak. 

They  are  also  often  INTRODUCED  from  foreign  countries, 
either  by  scientific  research  or  under  the  stimulus  of  interest. 
The  cocoanut  squash  (noted  in  its  place)  was  introduced  from 
Valparaiso  by  the  late  Commodore  Porter ;  and  the  common 
large  white  kidney  bush-bean,  which  now  abounds  in  our 
stores  and  markets,  was  brought  into  New  York  from  Madeira 
some  thirty  years  ago,  when  dumpling  beans  were  scarce.  At 
that  time  it  furnished  the  text  for  a  free-trade  article  in  the 
New  York  Journal  of  Commerce,  which  indicated  clearly  that 
the  writer  "  knew  beans." 

D2 


82  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


CHAPTER  Vin. 

Sowing,  Manner  of;  Time  of;  Depth  of,  etc. — Combination  of  Vegetable 
Crops. — Transplanting,  Ridging,  Hilling,  etc. 

SOWING. 
MANNER  OP  SOWING. 

IN  broadcast  sowing  the  land  is  generally  laid  off,  either  by 
furrows  or  sight-poles,  into  spaces  of  suitable  width  for  two 
casts  of  the  seed,  which  meet  and  slightly  overlap  as  the  sower 
throws  the  return  cast ;  but  in  small  lots  the  eye  is  often  de- 
pended on  to  gauge  these  distances. 

To  perform  the  operation  rightly,  a  basket  or  sheet  contain- 
ing the  seed  is  slung  upon  the  right  shoulder  and  across  the 
breast,  so  as  to  be  partially  under  the  left  arm  and  governed 
by  the  left  hand.  The  sower  beats  time  as  he  steps,  dipping 
a  handful  of  seed  with  his  right  hand  at  each  advance  of  the 
left  foot,  and  casting  it  with  a  steady  sweep  as  he  steps  for- 
ward with  the  right.  A  good  sower  does  not  cast  the  seed 
from  his  hand  at  once,  and  right  before  him,  as  in  feeding 
chickens,  which  would  cause  it  to  fall  in  streaks,  but,  by  adroit 
management  with  his  thumb,  and  an  upward  cast,  spreads  it 
as  it  issues,  causing  it  to  fall  in  a  broad,  scattering  shower, 
like  the  spreading  jet  of  water  drops  from  an  engine-pipe  when 
thrown  into  a  showering  semicircle  by  the  finger  of  the  en- 
gineer. 

In  broadcasting  small  beds  or  plots  in  the  garden  a  pinch 
of  seed  is  taken  instead  of  a  handful,  but  the  same  skill  is 
used  to  spread  it  evenly  as  it  is  thrown. 

In  drill  sowing,  also,  a  large  pinch  of  seed  only  is  taken, 
which,  in  the  process  of  sowing,  is  strickled  along  the  drill  by 
just  such  a  motion  of  the  thumb  upon  the  fore  and  middle 
fingers  as  a  skillful  housewife  uses  in  carefully  salting  a  steak. 
A  smart  boy  accustomed  to  the  work  will  sow  evenly,  and  of 
any  desired  thickness,  at  the  rate  of  a  fast  walk,  or  faster  in 
an  emergency. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  83 


TIME    OF   SOWING. 

The  proper  time  for  sowing  varies  not  only  with  the  various 
kinds  of  seeds,  but  often  also  with  the  same  kind,  according  to 
the  period  at  which  the  crop  is  expected  to  mature,  or  the  use 
for  which  it  may  be  wanted.  Vegetables  intended  for  spring 
or  summer  use,  if  hardy,  should  be  sown  in  the  fall  or  at  the 
very  earliest  opening  of  spring  ;  if  tender,  the  seeds  should  be 
sown  and  the  plants  prepared  in  hot  beds,  and  be  set  out  at  the 
time  of  the  principal  corn-planting,  or  a  little  earlier  if  the  ob- 
ject is  deemed  worth  the  risk.  Unless  the  soil  and  location 
of  your  garden  is  very  favorable,  do  not  plant  or  sow  your  full 
crops,  even  of  early  vegetables,  until  the  ground  becomes  warm- 
ed and  free ;  let  a  border,  at  most,  suffice  for  extra  early  ex- 
periments. 

By  this  practice  you  will  often  excel  in  the  quality  and 
yield  of  your  crops,  and  sometimes  in  the  earliness  of  their 
products.  "  On  time,  but  not  ahead  of  time,"  is  as  good  a  rule 
for  the  garden  as  for  the  rail-road. 

For  all  tender  vegetables,  the  planting  time  of  the  main 
corn-crop  constitutes  a  fixed  point  at  which,  in  all  latitudes,  it 
will  be  found  safe  to  sow  or  set.  The  time  of  leisure  between 
planting  and  first  hoeing  is  the  good  time  for  farmers  to  make 
garden,  the  ground  being  plowed  or  dug  a  month  or  so  before. 

Those  vegetable  crops  intended  for  winter  feeding  to  cattle, 
and  those  of  the  same  kind  intended  for  the  table,  should  not 
be  sown  at  the  same  time,  a  large  crop  being  a  main  object  in 
raising  the  former,  and  excellence  of  quality  chiefly  desirable 
in  the  latter. 

All  crops  for  winter  use  should  be  sown  late  enough  to  avoid 
the  summer  heat  upon  the  half-matured  crop  ;  those  intended 
for  feeding  to  cattle  as  early  as  possible  consistently  with  this 
indispensable  rule ;  while  those  for  table  use  should  be  defer- 
r^d.to  as  late  a  period  as  may  in  any  way  consist  with  the 
probability  of  their  maturing  before  winter.  Through  the  cool 
weather  of  autumn  all  vegetables  that  have  not  been  checked 
in  consequence  of  too  early  sowing,  or  by  some  other  cause,  if 
properly  cultivated,  grow  with  great  rapidity,  and  furnish  prod- 


84  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

ucts  very  superior  in  quality  to  those  raised  even  from  the 
same  stock,  but  sown  before  the  proper  time. 

Whenever  root  vegetables,  having  attained  to  from  one  fourth 
to  one  half  or  more  of  their  ordinary  growth,  experience  a  check 
from  any  cause,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  start  them  anew  so 
as  to  obtain  either  handsome  or  well-tasted  roots  ;  they  will,  in 
general,  be  either  hollow,  or  stringy  and  necked,  or  have  an  al- 
kaline taste,  or  all  of  these  may  combine  to  render  them  worth- 
less for  the  table,  and  of  but  little  value  for  any  purpose.  Even 
if  the  check  occur  while  they  are  quite  small  they  are  scarcely 
ever  recoverable.  The  judicious  cultivator  will,  therefore,  so 
time  the  sowing  of  his  winter  root  crops  as  to  carry  them  clear 
of  the  summer  heats  and  into  fall  weather,  with  its  cool  nights 
and  heavy  dews,  while  they  are  yet  in  the  first  or  second  stages 
of  their  growth.  If  this  be  done,  and  their  after  cultivation  be 
faithfully  attended  to,  he  may  reasonably  expect  a  crop  abun- 
dant in  yield  and  excellent  in  quality. 

North  of  latitude  40°  the  spring  sowing  of  general  crops 
may  ordinarily  be  performed  in  April  and  May.  Root  crops 
intended  for  cattle  may  generally  be  sown  with  safety  about 
/the  middle  or  latter  end  of  June,  and  those  intended  for  win- 
ter table-use  from  early  in  July  to  mid-August,  according  to 
the  kinds ;  but  in  southern  latitudes,  earlier  and  later  sowing, 
with  a  longer  summer  intermission,  becomes  necessary.  In  a 
well-cultivated  garden  it  will  be  found  safe  to  allow  about 
twelve  weeks  for  the  growth  of  fall-sown, vegetables,  counting 
from  the  time  that  their  third  leaves  attain  the  size  of  a 
"  squirrel's  foot,"  though  some  of  them,  as  turnips,  or  bush- 
beans  for  salting,  will  be  ready  for  use  in  shorter  time. 

DEPTH  OP  SOWING. 

It  is  sometimes  imagined  that  the  seeds  of  tap-rooted  plants, 
as  radishes,  beets,  &c.,  should  be  sown  at  a  depth  proportioned 
to  the  expected  length  of  the  product.  Men  otherwise  intel- 
ligent occasionally  entertain  this  puerile  notion,  and  lay  the 
blame  of  failure  upon  seeds  which,  in  fact,  they  themselves 
have  buried  beyond  hope  of  germination.  The  oaks  that  clothe 
our  mountains  sprang  from  acorns  that  were  never  buried  ;  all 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  85 

self-sown  seeds  are  cast  upon  the  surface,  and  those  which  are 
covered  deeply  in  plowing  seldom  trouble  the  cultivator  until 
again  brought  near  to  it. 

The  following  are  general  rules  : 

1st.  Except  in  special  cases,  shallow  sowing  is  to  be  prefer- 
red to  deep. 

2d.  In  dry,  hot  summer  weather,  seeds  should  invariably  be 
sown  in  soil  freshly  dug  or  plowed,  and  should  then  be  sown 
rather  deeper  than  in  the  more  moist  and  cool  seasons  of  spring 
and  fall. 

3d.  The  depth  at  which  seeds  should  be  sown  may  generally 
be  inferred  from  their  size.  If  seed  be  very  small,  it  should 
be  sown  on  the  surface,  previously  well  pulverized,  and  be 
lightly  and  carefully  raked  in  ;  or  when  in  small  plots,  simply 
stirring  the  earth  with  the  hand  or  with  a  small  stick  will 
cover  the  seed  sufficiently ;  but  seeds  thus  sown  upon  the  sur- 
face, unless  the  weather  be  moist,  should  have  a  gentle  water- 
ing for  two  or  three  evenings  with  the  ordinary  rose  watering- 
pot,  and  be  shaded  from  the  strong  sun.  Seeds  not  very  small, 
as  radish,  &c.,  may  be  sown  in  drills  half  an  inch  or  an  inch 
deep,  or  upon  a  surface  left  somewhat  rough,  and  must  then  be 
pretty  thoroughly  raked  in. 

The  larger  seeds,  as  beets,  beans,  &c.,  may  be  covered  from 
one  to  two  inches  deep,  the  latter  depth  being  sufficient  for  the 
largest  seeds  in  the  hottest  weather,  if  the  second  general  rule 
be  regarded. 

COMBINATION  OF  CROPS. 

This  is  a  system  of  arrangement  by  which  various  crops  are 
raised  in  the  same  season,  and  partly  at  the  same  time,  upon 
the  same  ground.  The  planting  of  pumpkins  with  corn  is  a 
familiar  instance  among  farm  crops,  and  an  increase  of  about 
one  fourth  has  been  supposed  to  result  from  alternating  the 
rows  of  corn  with  potatoes.  In  the  neighborhood  of  cities, 
where  land  becomes  very  valuable,  it  is  common  to  sow  in  the 
fall  upon  the  same  ground  alternate  rows  of  lettuce  and  spin- 
ach or  corn  salad.  The  spinach  or  corn  salad  being  cut  very 
early  in  the  spring,  the  lettuce  may  be  cultivated  for  early 
head  salad. 


86  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

In  the  spring  radishes  are  often  sown  broadcast  upon  land, 
and  afterward  beets  or  parsneps  are  -sown  in  rows,  or  early 
cabbage-plants  are  set  out  at  the  proper  distances  for  those 
crops.  In  due  time  the  radishes  are  pulled,  and  the  land  left 
to  the  remaining  crop,  which  then  receives  the  ordinary  cul- 
ture. See  also  EARLY  POTATOES  and  POLE  BEANS,  page  171. 

Other  combinations  occur,  as  fancy  or  the  variety  of  crops  to 
be  raised  may  dictate.  In  raising  root-crops  on  a  large  scale, 
combination  may  sometimes  be  wise  and  profitable,  as  where 
either  carrots,  or  beets,  or  parsneps  are  raised  together  with 
onions.  The  onions  being  sown  at  the  very  opening  of  spring 
in  drills  three  feet  apart,  after  they  have  been  weeded  and 
thinned — say  early  in  June — the  spaces  are  plowed,  and  two 
rows  of  either  of  the  other  articles  named  are  sown  at  eight- 
een inches  apart  in  the  intervals ;  and  the  onions  being  gath- 
ered in  August,  the  roots  last  sown  are  cultivated  in  the  usual 
manner,  and  may  yield  from  two  to  four  hundred  bushels  per 
acre. 

In  any  combination  of  crops,  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that 
the  labor  is  generally  increased,  and,  unless  in  land  of  extraor- 
dinary richness,  and  with  special  care  in  the  cultivation,  each 
crop  will  afford  much  less  than  a  medium  yield. 

TRANSPLANTING. 

Transplanting  of  fibrous-rooted  vegetables  is  one  of  the  most 
important  operations  of  the  garden. 

It  is  sometimes  assumed  by  writers  on  the  subject  of  culture 
that  it  is  highly  expedient,  if  it  be  practicable,  to  sow  all  seeds 
where  the  plants  are  intended  to  mature,  and  that  to  transplant 
is  not  only  additional  labor,  but  a  disadvantage  to  the  crop. 
This  may  be  true  of  tap-rooted  plants,  as  beets,  carrots,  &c., 
because  they  can  not  well  be  removed  entire  and  replanted  in 
their  natural  position ;  but  in  reference  to  those  which  are 
fibrous-rooted,  the  very  opposite  of  these  conclusions  will  be 
found  correct  in  practice.  The  labor  of  keeping  in  order  an 
acre  of  cabbages  sown  in  the  hills  for  the  first  month  after  sow- 
ing will  be  found  much  greater  than  its  thorough  preparation 
for  the  crop  while  the  plants  are  left  for  that  period  in  the 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  87 

seed-bed,  being  then,  immediately  after  a  final  and  thorough 
plowing  of  the  land,  transplanted  to  their  appropriate  places. 

Transplanting,  too,  is  an  essential  process  in  the  superior 
cultivation  of  almost  every  variety  of  vegetable  crop.  Check- 
ing in  some  measure  the  natural  tendency  to  wildness  in  the 
growth,  it  in  the  same  degree  tends  to  secure  and  hasten  the 
perfecting  of  the  product.  A  transplanted  vegetable,  whether 
plant  or  tree,  other  things  being  equal,  will  mature  sooner  than 
one  left  standing  where  the  seed  was  sown. 

It  is  indeed  probable  that  repeated  transplanting,  accompa- 
nied by  the  stimulus  of  high  nutrition,  either  experimental  or 
accidental,  were  the  chief  processes  by  which  our  heading  and 
fleshy-rooting  vegetables  have  been  obtained  from  their  wild 
and  worthless  originals. 

The  reader  will  infer  from  what  has  been  said  that  in  all 
heading  vegetables,  if  he  would  have  superior  products,  he  must 
cultivate  highly,  and  transplant  once  or  oftener  while  his  plants 
are  in  the  young  growing  state. 

PREPARATORY   STEPS. 

By  transplanting  we  generally,  though  not  always,  mean  the 
final  setting  out  of  plants  where  they  are  intended  to  mature, 
and  for  this  process  there  are  preparatory  steps  of  more  or  less 
importance  according  to  circumstances. 

1st.  Plants,  while  very  small,  are  often  transplanted  from 
the  seed-bed,  and  set  from  one  to  three  inches  apart,  or  at  such 
distances  as  will  prevent  their  being  "  drawn  up"  and  weaken- 
ed by  crowding  one  another,  as  well  as  to  afford  them  room  to 
form  good  roots.  This  is  technically  called  " bedding"  and, 
though  not  essential,  will  always  prove  an  important  aid  to  the 
cultivator,  affording  him  strong,  well-rooted  plants,  and  ena- 
bling him  to  carry  a  little  earth  with  each  root  in  the  final  set- 
ting out  of  his  crop,  thus  not  merely  securing  the  life  of  all, 
but,  which  in  late  planting  is  often  equally  important,  their 
uninterrupted  growth. 

2d.  This  end  is  still  more  effectually  attained  in  the  case  of 
the  egg-plant,  tomato,  &c.,  by  a  second  removal,  technically  term- 
ed "potting"  in  which  such  a  number  of  plants,  usually  three, 


88  AMERICAN  HOME   GARDEN. 

as  are  calculated  for  each  hill,  are  put  into  a  small  pot  of  rich 
earth,  and  placed  in  a  slight  hot  bed  two  or  three  weeks  before 
the  final  setting  out9  in  which  case,  at  planting-time,  after  a 
plentiful  watering,  they  are  carefully  removed  from  the  pot  by 
turning  it  upside  down  upon  the  hand,  with  the  plants  hanging 
between  the  fingers,  and  starting  the  whole  out  unbroken  by 
striking  the  edge  of  the  pot  gently  upon  any  thing  solid ;  the 
whole  ball  of  earth  is  then  placed,  with  the  plants  it  may  con- 
tain, in  the  hill  prepared  for  it.  See  HILLING. 

3d.  Grouting. — Immediately  before  young  seedling  plants 
of  vegetables  are  pulled  for  any  purpose,  the  bed,  or  at  least  that 
part  of  it  from  which  the  plants  are  to  be  drawn,  should  be 
thoroughly  soaked  with  water,  and,  if  needful,  a  small  stick 
may  be  used  to  pry  up  the  roots,  so  that  they  may  retain  some 
of  the  earth  with  them  in  transplanting.  If  from  any  cause 
they  fail  to  hold  the  earth,  it  will  be  found  of  special  import- 
ance that  they  be  submitted  to  the  process  of  grouting. 

This  is  performed  by  mixing  rich  earth,  to  which  cow-dung 
may  be  added,  with  water,  to  the  consistence  of  soft  mud,  and 
dabbling  the  roots  of  the  plants  in  it,  not  by  thrusting  them 
into  it,  but  rather  by  drawing  them  through  it,  or,  as  it  were, 
striking  them  upon  it  until  each  root  is  loaded.  A  dozen 
plants  may  be  grouted  at  once ;  and  as  they  are  held  in  the 
hand  preparatory  to  this  process,  an  inch  or  two  of  the  root- 
ends  may  be  cut  off. 

In  the  final  transplanting,  it  is  the  general  rule  to  set  the 
plants  of  cabbages,  peppers,  and  other  plants  that  form  a  stem 
one  or  two  inches  deeper  than  they  have  previously  stood  ;  but 
plants  that  do  not  form  a  stem,  as  celery,  lettuce,  &c.,  at  the 
same  depth  as  before.  If  the  stems  of  young  plants  of  the  for- 
mer class  are  very  long,  or,  technically  speaking,  if  the  plants 
be  "  long-legged,"  they  may  be  planted  a  little  deeper  than 
above  directed  ;  but,  whether  the  leg  be  long  or  short,  the  plant 
should  never  be  put  in  so  deeply  that  the  earth  reaches  the 
leaves ;  let  these  always  remain  above  ground,  and  free  to  the 
wind. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  89 


MODE   OP  FINAL  TRANSPLANTING. 

The  process  of  transplanting  is  a  simple  one,  although  re- 
quiring care  and  skill  to  perform  it  well  and  rapidly.  Let  us 
describe  the  operation.  Having  plants,  stem-plants,  of  suita- 
ble size — that  is,  from  four  to  ten  inches'  growth — either  drop 
them  at  the  proper  distances,  with  their  heads  to  the  left  hand, 
or  place  them  in  a  small  box  or  basket  on  your  left  hand,  or 
sling  them  in  an  apron  or  pouch  before  you ;  take  your  dibber 
(see  Fig.  59,  p.  58)  in  your  right  hand,  and  half  a  dozen  or  so 
of  plants  in  your  left ;  separate  one  of  them,  as  if  slipping  it 
out  of  the  hand,  but  still  holding  it  with  the  thumb  and  fore- 
finger ;  make  a  perpendicular  hole  with  your  dibber  of  such 
depth  as  you  judge  the  root  of  the  particular  plant  you  hold  to 
require  ;  rack  your  dibber  quickly  from  side  to  side  before  you 
withdraw  it  from  the  earth,  to  enlarge  somewhat  the  hole  and 
prevent  the  surface  sides  filling  it  in ;  then  put  the  root  of 
your  plant  into*  the  hole  just  made,  an  inch  or  two  deeper  than 
it  stood  in  the  seed-bed,  holding  it  steadily  with  your  left 
hand.  The  moment  it  is  in  position,  force  your  dibber  down 
about  two  inches  to  the  right  of  it,  not  quite  perpendicularly, 
but  pointing  inward,  as  if  to  pass  under  the  root  of  the  plant. 
As  soon  as  the  proper  depth  is  attained,  which  should  be  about 
the  same  as  that  of  the  hole  first  made,  bring  your  dibber  up- 
right to  the  side  of  the  plant  by  a  sudden  motion  of  your  right 
hand  toward  the  left,  thus  pressing  the  earth  against  it  from 
the  bottom  upward ;  having  set  it  firmly  in  its  place  by  this 
movement,  withdraw  the  dibber,  and  a  single  stroke  with  its 
point  across  the  side-hole  will  fill  it  in  and  complete  the  opera- 
tion. In  this  manner  a  rapid  planter  will  set  from  five  to  ten 
plants  per  minute. 

If  the  distances  for  your  plants  are  not  marked,  measure 
them  with  the  eye  as  you  plant,  and  proceed  in  the  same  man- 
ner to  the  end. 

All  transplanted  crops  should  be  lightly  and  carefully  hoed 
within  two  or  three  days  of  the  time  they  were  set  out,  to  start 
them  at  once  and  healthfully  on  their  growth,  and  for  the  first 
two  weeks  at  least  should  be  daily  watched,  to  catch  the  cut- 
worm, which  may  otherwise  destroy  them.  See  INSECTS. 


UO  AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 

CROP  RIDGING. 

Ridging  for  crop  is  performed  in  the  preparation  of  the  land 
for  sowing  or  planting  by  first  opening  a  furrow  with  the  plow 
or  spade,  in  which  the  manure  intended  for  the  crop  is  spread 
thickly,  whereupon  the  two  furrows,  as  in  ordinary  ridging, 
are  thrown  over  it ;  the  ridges  being  then  partially  flattened 
by  running  a  rake  or  hook  along  each,  or  passing  over  them 
the  back  of  a  wide,  light  harrow,  or  a  mere  bar,  or  a  roller,  if 
the  nature  of  the  manure  seem  to  require  it,  the  seed  is  sown 
or  planted  along  the  centre,  and  covered  in  one  of  the  ordinary 
modes.  In  ridging  potatoes  the  seed  is  usually  laid  immedi- 
ately upon  the  manure,  and  then  covered  and  finished  as  above 
directed.  Ridging  for  crop  is  often  found  economical  and  ad- 
vantageous in  mild,  moist  climates  or  on  wet  soils,  but  under 
all  ordinary  circumstances  "  flat  culture"  is  preferable. 

HILLING. 

In  agriculture,  hilling  is,  like  ridging,  opposed  to  flat  cul- 
ture, but  difiers  from  ridging  in  that  the  hill  is  formed  by 
throwing  furrows  together  both  ways  by  cross  plowing. 

When  the  crop  is  to  be  manured  in  the  hill,  deep  furrows 
are  run  each  way  at  suitable  distances,  and  the  manure,  being 
carted  on,  is  dropped  into  the  furrow  at  the  point  of  intersec- 
tion. The  planting  of  the  crop  is  then  completed  either  by 
dropping  the  seed  directly  upon  the  manure,  as  for  potatoes, 
or  by  first  hoeing  over  the  manure  a  slight  coat  of  earth,  upon 
which  the  seed,  as  in  corn  or  pole  beans,  is  dropped,  and  the 
covering  of  both  seed  and  manure  completed  with  the  hoe ;  or 
the  manure,  if  coarse,  is  first  covered  by  throwing  together  two 
furrows  over  it,  as  in  ridging,  and  then  planting  the  crop  upon 
it  with  the  hoe  or  other  implement,  the  hills  proper  being 
formed  in  the  after  cultivation  of  the  crop. 

In  gardening,  and  to  some  extent  in  farming  also,  the  term 
"  hilling"  has  become  so  far  modified  in  its  meaning  as  not 
necessarily  to  imply  that  the  earth  is  materially  gathered 
around  the  plants,  but  simply  that  the  plants  themselves  are 
set,  or  the  seeds  planted  in  small  clumps  of  three,  or  four,  or 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  91 

five,  with  spaces  between  the  so-called  hills  greater  than  would 
be  left  if  the  plants  stood  in  single  line.  "  Hilling,"  there- 
fore, in  gardening,  is  opposed  to  "  rowing,"  and  may  or  may 
not  involve  the  idea  of  a  raised  mound  of  earth. 

The  advantages  of  hilling  are  various. 

1st.  Crops  set  or  sown  in  hills,  even  when  the  earth  is  not 
materially  raised  around  the  plants,  are  more  easily  tended 
than  in  rows. 

2d.  They  are  still  more  easily  tended  if  the  earth  be  so 
raised ;  the  hilling-up  from  time  to  time  enabling  us  to  cover 
and  thus  stifle  the  young  weeds  which  must  otherwise  be  re- 
moved by  hand. 

3d.  In  crops  requiring  poles,  hilling  has  the  great  advan- 
tage of  one  pole  serving  for  several  plants  ;  and  in  corn-crops, 
the  raised  surface  meets  the  strong  stay-roots  which  are  thrown 
out  from  the  lower  joint  of  the  stalk  and  braces  it  against  the 
wind,  which  in  flat  culture  would  be  likely  to  prostrate  the 
crop. 

4th.  All  crops  are  probably  benefited  by  some  additions  of 
fresh  earth  around  the  plants  during  growth,  supplying  new 
food  to  the  young  roots,  which  push  rapidly  into  it,  especially 
after  the  growing  crop  begins  to  shade  the,  surface. 

Hills,  however,  should  always  be  made  broad  and  somewhat 
flat  rather  than  high  and  conical.  The  latter  form  throws  off 
the  water  from  the  plant,  the  former  retains  it,  thus  co-oper- 
ating with  and  seconding  the  natural  arrangement  by  which 
each  leaf  of  corn  is  made  a  groove  or  channel  to  convey  moist- 
ure to  the  stem  and  plant ;  and  each  large  leaf  of  the  giant 
pie-plant,  being  slightly  incurved,  is  set  to  catch  the  falling 
dew  and  rain,  its  stem  forming  the  gutter  by  which  it  is  car- 
ried to  the  root ;  and  so  of  many  other  plants,  with  varied 
adaptation  to  the  same  end. 

CROP  PLOWING. 

In  large  or  farm-garden  operations,  where  the  rows  are  wide, 
much  of  the  labor  of  cultivating  crops  in  the  progress  of  their 
growth  is  performed  with  the  small  single  or  the  half  mould- 
board  plow,  which  are  used  in  the  ordinary  manner  of  careful 


92  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

corn  and  potato  plowing,  and  generally  should  be  followed  by  a 
light  corn-harrow. 

In  certain  crops,  however,  it  is  important  to  loosen  the  soil 
more  deeply  than  can  be  safely  done  by  either  of  these,  and  the 
skeleton  plow  is  used,  which,  with  a  single  narrow-stepping 
horse  or  mule,  can  be  put  beam  deep,  sometimes  at  the  first 
stroke,  and  almost  always  at  the  second ;  and  though  it  throws 
scarcely  any  furrow,  yet  it  is  well  to  follow  it  with  a  single 
stroke  of  the  corn-harrow.  The  use  of  some  one  or  more  of 
these  small  plows,  aided  by  a  light  corn-harrow,  is  of  great 
value  to  growing  crops.  If  frequently  and  faithfully  used, 
scarcely  any  crop  that  is  seasonably  sown  will  be  found  to  suf- 
fer from  any  ordinary  continuance  of  drought. 

HOEING. 

The  directions  so  often  repeated  in  this  work,  to  "  hoe  fre- 
quently and  deeply,"  may  seem  to  the  inexperienced  superflu- 
ous ;  it  may  be  thought  that  hoeing  is  useful  only  for  the  pur- 
pose of  killing  weeds.  The  cultivator  of  a  garden  could  scarce- 
ly make  a  greater  mistake.  It  is  admitted  as  a  demonstrated 
fact  in  vegetable  physiology  that  plants  receive  their  food 
principally,  if  not  entirely,  by  the  spongioles,  or  extreme  ves- 
sels of  their  root-fibres.  Now  in  the  deep  hoeing  of  crops,  the 
extending  roots  of  the  plant  are  cut,  and  every  tender  growing 
root  thus  cut  will  in  a  few  hours  throw  out  several  new  ones, 
pushing  in  various  directions,  and  some  of  these  being  cut  by 
subsequent  hoeings,  the  ramifications  of  the  roots  are  greatly 
increased,  and  in  an  equal,  or  perhaps  even  in  a  greater  ratio, 
their  spongioles  or  mouths  are  multiplied. 

Again  :  modern  science  has  shown  that  ammonia  is  the  great 
quickener  and  an  essential  supporter  of  vegetable  life,  and  that 
the  atmosphere  is  the  reservoir  or  chief  source  for  supplying 
it.  By  deep  hoeing  the  soil  is  most  thoroughly  pulverized ; 
it  is  so  loosened  that  the  young  roots  can  seek  their  food  with 
facility ;  it  is  opened  to  the  air  and  dews  of  night,  which  bring 
with  them  at  once  the  ammonia  which  furnishes  the  material 
of  their  food,  and  the  moisture,  combination  with  which  is  prob- 
ably essential  to  its  reception  by  the  plant.  (See  Manures,  p. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  93 

60.)  This,  however,  like  all  other  garden  operations,  may  be 
performed  wisely  or  unwisely.  No  set  of  rules  will  allow  the 
cultivator  to  lay  aside  his  judgment  and  common  sense,  and  go 
on  blindly  to  success ;  but  the  following  suggestions  will  be 
found  useful  in  practice. 

1st.  In  the  early  stages  of  their  growth,  all  garden  crops 
should  be  frequently  and  deeply  hoed  ;  that  is,  in  fruit  or  seed- 
bearing  plants,  as  cucumbers,  beans,  &c.,  until  the  blossoms  are 
about  to  appear ;  in  heading  vegetables,  until  the  heads .  are 
about  to  form ;  and  in  root  crops,  until  they  are  about  to  swell, 
or  until  they  attain  from  half  to  three  quarters  of  an  inch  di- 
ameter. Most  crops,  too,  will  be  greatly  benefited  by  being 
plowed  or  dug  through  between  the  rows,  wherever  this  is  prac- 
ticable, at  least  once  during  their  growth. 

2d.  Crops,  when  nearing  maturity,  if  hoed  at  all,  should  be 
hoed  shallow,  unless  it  be  at  such  a  distance  as  will  leave  the 
larger  roots  entirely  undisturbed.  For  this  purpose,  the  thrust 
hoe  may  be  used  to  advantage. 

WATERING. 

As  a  common  practice  or  system,  watering  crops  is  not  de- 
sirable ;  but  occasionally  it  may  become  necessary  for  a  brief 
period,  either  upon  newly-sown  seeds  in  very  dry  weather,  or 
young  plants  but  recently  set  out.  It  should  be  done  in  the 
evening  if  at  all,  but  generally  it  will  be  found  better  to  de- 
pend on  timing  your  crops  well,  sowing  or  setting  them  in 
ground  freshly  prepared,  and  cultivating  them  deeply,  than  on 
the  laborious  and  often  futile  practice  of  watering,  unless,  in- 
deed, as  in  rainless  Egypt,  the  peculiarities  of  your  climate 
necessitate  systematic  irrigation. 


94  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Insects;  general  Characteristics  of ;  Changes  of ;  Prevalence  of. — Means  of 
Defense  and  Offense  against  them. 

INSECTS. 

INSECTS,  in  general,  complete  the  round  of  their  life,  or  rath- 
er lives,  in  one  year.  Jhere  are  some  exceptions,  however,  as 
the  well-known  seventeen-year  locust,  and  also  some  three  and 
four  year  insects,  as  the  saperda,  the  May-bug,  and  the  spring 
beetle  or  snapper,  parents  of  the  apple-tree  borer,  the  corn- 
grub,  and  the  wire- worm.  But,  whether  the  period  in  which 
their  changes  occur  be  short  or  long,  they  are  all  definitely  ef- 
fected. The  young  are  hatched,  or  the  insect  wakes  from  its 
torpor  at  the  time  of  the  opening  of  the  leaves  or  flowers  upon 
which  they  have  to  feed ;  and  if,  from  any  cause,  they  hatch 
before  their  food  is  ready,  they  die,  although  this  rarely,  if  ever, 
happens. 

They  are  air-breathers,  with  varied  apparatus  for  this  pur- 
pose suited  to  their  condition,  and  changing  with  it.  In  the 
larva,  or  worm  state,  they  are  commonly  furnished  with  spir- 
acles or  breathing-holes  along  their  sides. 

Their  digestive  apparatus  consists,  as  in  the  snipe  or  wood- 
cock, of  a  single  uniform  tube.  In  its  passage  through  this 
simple  opening,  their  food  is  elaborated,  and  the  colorless  blood 
formed.  This,  in  their  system  of  circulation,  is  carried  with 
regularity  from  tail  to  head,  and  back  again,  passing  in  its  re- 
turn through  the  respiratory  tubes.  While  in  the  larva  or  worm 
state,  they  are  voracious  and  generally  injurious.  They  eat, 
and  digest,  and  spin  through  their  allotted  time,  all  the  indi- 
viduals of  the  same  kind  having  equal  life,  however  varied  the 
limit  of  life  in  this  condition  may  be  in  the  different  species. 
At  the  close  of  this  definite  period  they  take  the  chrysalis  form, 
changing  their  appearance,  structure,  and  mode  of  existence. 

Having  completed  their  organization  and  growth  in  the 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  95 

chrysales,  they  become,  by  a  curious  metamorphosis,  moths  or 
butterflies  ;  they  are  entirely  harmless  to  vegetation,  not  chew- 
ing, but  sucking  their  food ;  and  after  living  a  few  days  to  per- 
fect and  deposit  their  eggs,  they  perish.  Of  those  species 
which  assume  the  form  of  beetles,  having  cutting  or  biting  ap- 
paratus, some  are  injurious  both  in  the  state  of  larvae  and  when 
winged.  These  do  not  spin  cocoons,  but  the  naked  worm  or 
grub  passes  through  a  state  of  torpor  and  change  in  the  earth. 

Most  kinds  of  insects  have  periods,  recurring  at  longer  or 
shorter  intervals,  in  which  they  are  unusually  abundant  and 
destructive,  becoming  in  a  single  season  a  scourge  to  neighbor- 
hoods or  nations,  and  again  declining  to  their  ordinary  num- 
bers. They  also  vary  greatly  with  climate,  locality,  and  crop, 
each  of  these  having  its  peculiar  general  classes  or  species. 
The  soft,  slimy  insects,  as  the  slug  and  snail,  which  are  the 
pests  of  the  garden  in  moist  and  foggy  island  climates,  are 
scarcely  known  under  our  bright  summer  sun,  except  in  pecul- 
iarly wet  seasons ;  and  many  of  the  insects  of  hot  southerly 
latitudes  disappear  as  we  go  north  or  rise  high  above  the  level 
of  the  ocean,  or  are  found,  like  summer  visitors,  only  in  the 
heart  of  the  season.  In  swampy  lands,  or  by  rivers,  we  find 
insects  that  do  not  frequent  the  dry  uplands  ;  in  sandy  locali- 
ties, those  from  which  clay  soils  are  exempt. 

The  pea-bug  is  not  found  in  corn,  nor  the  wheat-fly  in  Lima 
beans,  nor  the  parsley- worm  upon  the  cabbage,  but  each  ad- 
heres to  its  appropriate  plant  or  class  of  plants.  Some,  how- 
ever, take  a  wider  range  in  their  depredations.  The  rose-bug 
attacks  indiscriminately  the  blossoms  of  the  rose,  the  peony, 
or  the  grape-vine,  the  leaves  of  the  oak,  the  elm,  or  the  linden, 
and  the  fruit  of  the  cherry,  &c. 

Insects  that  infest  or  injure  garden  vegetables,  however,  do 
not  materially  differ  south  and  north,  but  are  found  in  all. lati- 
tudes in  their  specific  seasons.  In  general,  they  belong  to  the 
crop  and  the  season  rather  than  to  the  particular  latitude,  a 
single  wet,  cool  season  producing  multitudes  of  the  softer  slimy 
insects,  which  a  bright  hot  summer  prevents  or  destroys.  Most 
species  of  winged  insects,  on  the  contrary,  are  born  and  rejoice 
in  the  sunlight,  and  many  larvae,  as  the  nest-worm  and  others 


96  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

of  the  caterpillar  tribes,  are  stimulated  to  their  most  lively  vo- 
racity by  the  bright  heat. 

The  remedies  prescribed  in  this  work  will  be  found,  in  gen- 
eral, to  apply  to  classes  of  insects  rather  than  merely  to  single 
species,  and  may  therefore  be  made  available  in  any  locality. 

The  first  care  of  the  cultivator  should  be  to  make  himself 
accurately  acquainted  with  the  formation,  character,  and  habits 
of  those  varieties  of  insects  which  his  climate  or  locality  may 
produce,  or  which  his  crops  invite,  particularly  their  times  of 
first  appearance  and  subsequent  changes.  Upon  such  knowl- 
edge, well  applied,  he  may  often  find  the  profits  of  his  labor- 
depending.  It  is  as  necessary  to  him  as  the  diagnosis  of  dis- 
ease to  the  physician. 

The  known  and  reliable  means  of  defense  from  the  ravages 
of  insects  are  very  limited.  The  field  of  patient  and  intelli- 
gent observation  and  experiment  in  this  department  remains 
comparatively  unexplored,  and  may  be  entered  with  abundant 
prospect  of  reward  by  any  one  of  my  readers. 

There  are,  however,  a  few  points  which  it  may  be  useful  to 
mention. 

1st.  Insects  have  natural  enemies  in  the  parasites,  or  ich- 
neumons, that  deposit  their  eggs  in  the  body  of  the  insect  or 
its  larva,  or  in  the  chrysalis.  In  these  living  nests  the  young 
interloper  is  hatched,  and  lives  upon  the  substance  and  de- 
stroys the  life  of  his  victim.  These  hidden  foes,  of  which  it  is 
probable  each  variety  of  insect  has  at  least  one,  are  always 
present,  always  active,  and  can  not  be  eluded.  Others  war  open- 
ly, as  the  short  yellow  worm,  the  larva  of  the  syrphus,  that 
lives  upon  the  cabbage  aphis,  blind,  but  always  following  his 
prey ;  also  the  numerous  aphis-eaters,  as  the  larvae  of  the  spot- 
ted or  "  lace-winged"  and  "  golden-eyed"  flies,  and  the  lady- 
bug,  both  in  the  larva  and  perfect  state.  These  natural  ene- 
mies we  can  transfer  from  plant  to  plant  when  necessary,  thus 
putting  them  upon  the  track  of  their  prey. 

Among  larger  insects,  their  foes  are  the  dragon-fly  or  darn- 
ing-needle, and  especially  a  smaller  blackish  fly,  looking  like  a 
cross  between  a  dragon-fly  and  wasp,  which  hunts  for  his  food 
with  the  activity  and  intelligence  of  a  terrier.  The  birds,  also, 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  97 

and  the  bat  live  largely  upon  insects,  which  they  consume  both 
in  the -larva  and  the  winged  state,  and  the  toad,  though  not  a 
spry  hunter,  can  often  and  expertly  catch  a  fly. 

Moles,  also,  and  some  ground-beetles  destroy  the  various 
grubs  that  are  hatched  or  harbored  in  the  earth. 

Some  insects  have  protectors.  Ants  are  said  to  guard  the 
aphides,  and,  by  a  peculiar  process,  milk  them,  or,  perhaps  more 
truly,  by  a  startling  threat,  to  rob  them  of  the  sweet  juices  they 
suck  from  plants. 

2d.  We  have  also  opportunities  for  escaping  their  depreda- 
tions by  changing  a  little  the  period  of  sowing  or  planting, 
though  this  also  may  sometimes  expose  us  to  other  inconven- 
iences. 

Late-sown  wheat  has  been  found  to  escape,  at  least  in  part, 
the  depredations  of  the  fly  or  the  weevil.  Late-sown  peas  are 
not  so  liable  to  be  punctured  by  the  pea-bug,  but  they  are  pe- 
culiarly exposed  to  check  and  mildew  from  the  heat,  which  by 
early  sowing  they  would  have  escaped.  But  late-planted  win- 
ter cabbages  not  only  escape  the  cut-worm,  but,  if  driven  into 
rapid  growth  by  careful  after-cultivation,  are  improved  in  qual- 
,ity  by  the  delay. 

3d.  Insects  have  tastes  and  distastes,  of  which  we  may  per- 
haps avail  ourselves  in  self-defense.  As  they  carefully  avoid 
certain  plants,  we  may  mix  these  with  those  which  they  attack, 
and  try  thus  to  shield  them.  Onion,  hemp,  tobacco,  and  tomato 
have  been  suggested  and  recommended  for  the  protection  of 
cucumbers,  melons,  &c.,  on  this  principle.  There  is,  however, 
a  difficulty  in  the  application  of  it.  A  single  plant  of  either 
of  the  three  last  named  in  each  hill,  left  to  grow  unchecked, 
will  monopolize  possession  arid  destroy  the  crop ;  whether  if 
kept  closely  trimmed  they  would  effect  the  end,  or  whether,  if 
they  would,  the  labor  could  not  be  better  applied,  are  questions 
to  be  answered.  The  onion,  as  well  as  several  small  herbs  with 
strong  odors,  may  be  well  worthy  of  trial.  We  have  also  some 
other  means  of  offending  them,  which  will  be  mentioned  in  con- 
nection with  the  several  insects. 

4th.  We  possess  various  means  of  injuring  or  destroying 
them.  There  are  certain  points  in  the  history  of  insect  life 

E 


98  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

when  we  may  successfully  assail  it,  viz. :  a.  In  the  eggs,  which, 
in  nests  of  from  ten  to  a  hundred,  we  may  gather  by  hand,  or 
scrape  from  the  trees  on  which  they  are  deposited,  b.  In  the 
chrysales  or  cocoons,  which  are  often  more  easily  found  and 
gathered  than  the  eggs.  c.  In  the  perfect  or  winged  state,  by 
means  of  fires  in  their  season,  d.  For  those  kinds  which  make 
nests,  the  period  of  weakness  immediately  succeeding  the  hatch- 
ing of  the  young  colony,  when  they  may  be  crushed  at  once.  We 
possess  also  various  other  means  of  injuring  or  destroying  them. 
Upon  some  we  may  sow  lime  or  plaster  with  effect ;  others  are 
destroyed  by  drenching  with  fatty  or  soapy  matter,  which  kills 
them  by  stopping  their  breathing-tubes,  or  with  water,  which 
simply  drowns  them,  as  the  palmer- worm  has  been  found  to  be 
destroyed  by  violent  rain.  We  may  gather  them  by  hand,  or 
entrap  them  with  sweets,  and  in  various  other  ways.  But  to 
all  this  labor  there  is  a  limit  of  wisdom,  which  it  is  not  worth 
while  to  pass.  The  general  principle  may  be  confidently 
adopted,  that  only  those  insects  which  attack  healthy  crops  and 
cause  disease  will  repay  the  trouble  of  cure  or  catching.  The 
sole  remedy,  or  rather  preventive,  for  those  induced  or  invited 
by  disease,  as  the  root-worm,  the  cabbage  aphis,  the  cucumber 
striped  bug,  &c.,  is  the  preservation  of  vigor  in  the  crop  by 
timely  and  suitable  culture.  In  more  than  thirty  years'  expe- 
rience and  observation,  I  have  never  known  a  healthy  crop  of 
cucumbers  materially  injured  by  the  striped  bug,  nor  a  diseased 
or  checked  crop  that  escaped  the  bug,  or  that  was  restored  by 
the  destruction  of  its  supposed  destroyer. 

In  the  following  list  of  insects,  all  that  are  injurious  to  gar- 
den vegetables  in  every  locality  may  not  be  included,  but  the 
number  inadvertently  omitted  must  be  small,  and  such  descrip- 
tions, and  directions,  and  hints  are  given  in  regard  to  those 
enumerated  as  will  perhaps  furnish  aid  in  reference  to  others 
that  may  have  been  left  out. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  99 


CHAPTER  X. 

Insects  injurious  to  Garden  Vegetables,  &c. — Aphides. — Larvae,  or  Worms. 

— Moles. 

WINGED  INSECTS. 

Aphides,  or  "  Green  Flies,"  &c. 

Fig.  62. 


a,  natural  size  ;  &,  £>,  magnified. 

Cabbage  Aphis,  Aphis  Brasicae, 

Corn            "  "      Maidis,     ,  _. 

Hop  «      Humuli,  >FlS-62- 

Lettuce        "  "      LactucgeJ 

The  cabbage,  corn,  hop,  and  lettuce  aphides,  though  distin- 
guished by  entomologists,  need  not  be  distinguished  here. 
Their  names  indicate  the  particular  plants  they  infest,  the  rem- 
edies are  the  same  for  all,  and  each,  we  may  be  sure,  is  pursued 
by  its  destroyers. 

The  first  is  found  on  all  unhealthy  and  ill-cultivated  cab- 
bages, and  the  only  remedy,  or  rather  preventive,  is  good  cul- 
ture, successful  in  producing  unchecked  growth. 

The  second  appears  only  occasionally,  and  usually  or  always 
upon  the  green  ear-set  of  the  corn,  at  the  extremity  of  the 
husk. 

The  third  is  sometimes  troublesome  upon  the  hop,  where  it 
is  cultivated  as  a  farm  crop  Showering  with  pretty  strong 
tobacco- water,  or  sowing  dry  ashes,  or  lime,  or  plaster  upon 
them  in  the  dew,  are  worthy  of  trial  with  a  view  to  their  pre- 
vention or  destruction. 


100  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

The  fourth  is  found  only  on  the  seed-stalk  branches  of  the 
lettuce,  and  the  applications  above  named  for  the  hop  may  be 
used  for  this,  if  found  needful. 


CUCUMBER  BUG.    (Striped.) 
GALERUCA    VITTATA. 

The  striped  cucumber  bug  is  an  active  black  and  yellow 
Fig.  es.  striped  beetle,  about  one  fourth  of  an  inch  long, 

which  attacks  the  cucumber,  melon,  and  other 
kindred  plants,  especially  when  from  any  cause 
those  plants  become  diseased  or  checked  in 
growth.  It  eats  the  leaf  tissue  until  the  veins 
only  are  left  as  a  net-work,  and  fastens  upon 

a,  natural  size ;          ,     *  .  ,     -  „  „    ,  ,±, 

6,  magnified.  the  stem  just  at  the  surface  ot  the  ground,  and 
eats  into  its  substance.  Fortunately,  well-cultivated  and 
healthly  plants  escape  it  almost  entirely,  or  easily  outgrow  its 
injuries ;  but  plants  in  poor  or  cold  soil,  or  where  the  seed  is 
sown  or  planted  while  spring  is  yet  only  coming,  or  too  direct- 
ly upon  heating  manure  put  into  the  hills,  or  in  a  continuous 
drouth  in  hot  sand  or  gravel,  will  either  perish  quickly  under 
its  attacks,  or  linger  along  and  fail  at  last  in  spite  of  effort  to 
restore  them. 

Various  preventives,  some  of  which  may  be  worthy  of  far- 
ther trial,  have  been  suggested,  such  as  planting  an  onion,  or 
a  tomato,  etc.,  in  each  hill.  Numerous  remedies  have  also 
been  proposed,  as  soot,  lime,  ashes,  plaster,  snuff,  etc.,  to  which 
may  be  added,  as  equally  efficient,  sand.  They  are  all  mere 
temporary  disturbers  of  the  insect,  which,  from  its  timidity, 
retreats  instantly  upon  the  slightest  annoyance,  either  hiding 
quickly  under  leaves,  or  in  the  earth,  or  at  once  flying  away. 
They  may  apparently  be  almost  driven  in  a  flock  by  a  liberal 
broadcast  of  any  powder,  but  for  the  rest,  even  if  it  be  Scotch 
snuff,  it  may  be  presumed  they  only  sneeze. 

Let  your  ground,  then,  for  these  crops  be  thoroughly  pre- 
pared, wait  for  warm  weather  to  plant  in,  and  when  the  young 
plants  appear,  let  them  have  prompt  and  continued  care,  and, 
if  need  be,  stimulus,  as  liquid  manure,  until  they  are  beyond 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  101 

the  reach,  of  the  bug.  (See  also  Squash  Bug.)  Besides  these, 
cucumbers  are  sometimes  troubled  with  a  small  jumping  bee- 
tle, like  the  turnip  bug,  the  Haltica  cucumeris,  for  which  the 
proposed  remedies  for  the  striped  bug  may  be  found  really  use- 
ful, particularly  soot,  ashes,  or  snuff. 

PEA  BUG  OR  WEEVIL. 
BRUCHUS  PISI. 

This  is  the  small  brown  bug  sometimes  so  abundant  in 
dried  peas,  and  is  produced  from  an 
egg  which  generally  is  deposited  in 
each  of  the  young  peas  by  puncturing 
them  through  the  pod  while  it  is  yet 
tender.  Occasionally,  however,  in  very 
large  peas,  two  or  even  three  punctures  * 

will  be  found  on  the  same  side,  the     «>  natural  *ize ;  &,  magnified, 
operator  having  mismeasured  distance ;   and  sometimes  they 
are  punctured  on  both  sides,  probably  by  different  individuals, 
the  last  one  unaware  that  the  dwelling  was  already  tenanted. 

Nearly  on  the  opposite  side  from  the  round  hole  by  which 
the  bug  finds  its  outlet  from  the  ripe  seed  a  small  brown  spot 
will  usually,  if  not  always,  be  found  upon  the  pea,  which  is  the 
healed  puncture  where  the  egg  was  deposited. 

The  insect  makes  these  punctures  along  the  side  of  the  pod, 
and  the  general  course  taken  by  the  young  worm  being  more 
or  less  directly  to  the  opposite  side,  it  becomes  apparent  that 
the  eye  of  the  pea,  which  is  at  the  point  of  attachment  to  the ' 
pod  at  its  inner  or  front  edge,  will  seldom  be  injured ;  but, 
notwithstanding  this,  peas  which  the  bug  has  eaten  should  not 
be  used  for  seed,  especially  in  a  cold  spring,  when,  not  vegetat- 
ing quickly,  they  are  apt  to  water-soak  and  rot. 

The  pea  bug  belongs  to  warm  weather  and  localities.  It  is 
unknown  in  high  northern  latitudes,  and  any  where  north  of 
40°  it  is  avoided  by  selecting  an  elevated  region,  or  by  put- 
ting off  sowing  until  the  latter  end  of  May. 

The  crow  blackbird  and  the  Baltimore  oriole  are  said  to 
seek  the  young  worms,  but  are  of  no  practical  importance  as 
destroyers. 


102  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

In  small  quantities  seed-peas  may  be  scalded,  while  stirred, 
before  sowing,  which  is  said  to  destroy  the  bug ;  more  confi- 
dence may  perhaps  be  placed  in  soaking  until  the  peas  begin 
to  vegetate,  and  this  may  be  safely  done  if  they  are  then  roil- 
ed in  plaster  (gypsum),  quickly  sown  upon  fresh-plowed  land, 
and  covered  without  being  suffered  to  lie  exposed  to  the  sun. 
Or  we  may  sow  only  two-year-old  seed-peas,  keeping  them  in 
tight  barrels,  and  sifting  out  and  destroying  the  weevils  in  the 
spring  or  summer  of  the  first  season.  It  is  presumed  that  the 
insect  deposits  eggs  only  in  the  pea,  and  if  so,  it  would  seem 
to  be  dependent  upon  our  care  of  the  offspring  for  perpetuation. 

SQUASH  BUG. 
COREUS    TRISTIS. 

The  squash  bug,  sometimes  erroneously  called  turtle  bug,  is 
Fig.  65.  generally  a  dark  brown  or  blackish  bug, 

rather  quick  in  its  movements,  ridged 
across  above  the  shoulders,  the  whole 
having  an  angular  or  lined  appearance, 
somewThat  resembling  a  shield  with  its 
quartering s.  It  is  a  foul,  fetid  bug,  the 
companion  of  the  striped  cucumber  bug 
in  its  ravages  among  vegetable  vines. 
It  is  less  numerous  and  less  lively,  but 
larger  and  more  destructive  in  propor- 
nearly  twice  the  tion  to  its  numbers,  eating  the  leaf  more 
natural  size.  voraciously,  and  more  completely  de- 

stroying the  stem.  Its  eggs  are  laid  in  June  and  July.  It  is 
timid  and  quick  to  hide,  but  may  be  caught  by  hand  in  the  cool 
of  the  morning  from  any  crop  which  it  infests,  and  crushed. 
It  often  enters  the  house  in  the  fall  of  the  year. 

TURNIP  BUG  OR  FLY. 
BALTIC  A   NEMORUM. 

A  little  black  bug  or  beetle,  about  one  tenth  of  an  inch  in 
length,  which  springs  when  disturbed,  and  on  this  account  is 
by  some  called  Jumping  Jack.  In  certain  seasons  the  various 
species  of  this  insect  become  very  numerous  upon  the  young 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 


103 


plants  of  turnips  and  cabbages,  sometimes  eating  them  entirely 
Fig.  66.       off  before  the  third  leaf  is  formed.     When 
prevailing,  they  destroy  with  equal  prompt- 
itude the  plants  in  a  small  seed  bed  or  a 
breadth  of  acres. 

Soaking  and  stirring  the  seed  in  sulphur 
water,  and  rolling  the  surface  after  sowing, 
have  been  recommended  as  preventives,  as 
a,  natural  size ;  6,  magni-  well  as  the  sowing  of  ashes  and  plaster  upon 
the  young  plants  ;  and  where  the  turnip  crop 
is  esteemed,  they  are  sometimes  caught  in  the  throat  of  a  light 
bag,  made  with  a  pronged  frame  in  the  fashion  of  a  shrimp- 
net,  which  is  carried  steadily  over  the  surface  of  ,the  land  in 
precisely  the  same  manner  as  the  shrimp-net  is  carried  over 
the  flats.  But  as  it  is  a  short-lived  pest,  it  is  generally  better 
to  dig  or  plow  the  ground  a  second  time,  and  resow  the  crop, 
taking  care  to  give  it  a  vigorous  start. 

For  this  purpose,  few  things  will  be  found  more  efficient  than 
coating  the  seed  thoroughly  with  common  whale  oil,  and  dry- 
ing it  off  with  plaster  immediately  before  sowing,  taking  care 
to  cover  it  completely  but  lightly,  and  gently  roll  the  ground, 
or  beat  it  moderately  with  the  back  of  the  rake. 

GRASSHOPPER. 
ACRYDIUM   FLAYOVITTATUM. 

Fig.  67. 


Natural  size. 

Once  in  a  series  of  years,  particularly  in  certain  localities, 
grasshoppers  become  a  resistless  scourge,  consuming  every  young 
green  crop ;  but  in  ordinary  seasons  the  garden  may  be  defend- 


104 


AMERICAN    HOME    GARDEN. 


ed  against  them  by  incessantly  driving  them  with  sand  thrown 
broadcast  over  crops  as  often  as  they  are  attacked,  aided  by 
fowls,  particularly  broods  of  young  turkeys,  which  thrive  finely 
upon  them. 

LARVAE  OR  WORMS. 

CABBAGE   WORMS. 
Fig.  68. 

LARGER  CABBAGK  WOBM,  WITH  ITS  PABENT  BUTTERFLY. 


a,  Larva  ;  ft,  Colias  Philodice. 
Fig.  69. 

SMALLER   CABBAGE   WORM,  WITH    ITS   SUPPOSED   PARENT  BOTTERFLY. 


a,  Larva ;  b,  Pontea  Oleracea. 

These  are  pale  green  or  yellow  worms,  from  an  inch  to  an 
inch  and  a  half  long,  with  some  dark  spots,  which  are  found 
more  or  less  every  season  upon  cabbages  and  some  other  plants. 
Individually  they  are  fast  feeders,  but  their  number  is  limited, 
and  of  course  so  is  the  injury  they  do.  Birds  also  destroy 
them.  They  should  be  hand-picked  and  crushed.  These 
worms  are  the  progeny  of  the  common  large  and  small  white 
and  spotted  butterflies. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


105 


There  is  another  pretty  spotted  worm  that  coils  itself  up  on 
the  cabbage  ;  it  is  the  painted  caterpillar,  larva  of  the  Mamestra 
picta.  It  is  rather  rare,  and  its  appetite  not  very  voracious. 

The  larva  of  the  Cerostoma  brasicella  is  a  yellowish  green 
worm,  described  by  Fitch  as  about  one  third  (0.35)  of  an  inch 
long,  and  of  the  thickness  of  a  coarse  knitting-needle,  tapering 
somewhat  to  both  ends,  with  sixteen  -legs,  and  very  active,  hav- 
ing sometimes  a  dark  head.  The  moth  which  produces  it  is 
about  the  same  length,  and  of  an  ash-gray  color. 

The  worm,  in  certain  localities,  appears  upon  the  cabbage  in 
October,  particularly  in  dry  seasons,  and  feeds  chiefly  upon  the 
loose  outer  leaves,  thoroughly  riddling  them.  At  length  it 
spins  a  thin  gauze-like  cocoon,  which  it  attaches  to  the  eaten 
leaf. 

It  is  not  extensively  injurious,  but  simply  disagreeable  upon 
a  vegetable  intended  for  food.  It  has  its  parasitic  foe,  the 
smaller  brown  cocoons  of  which  will  be  found  near  by. 

CORN   GRUB. 

Fig.  TO. 

LARV.E.  WITH   THEIR   PARENT   BUGS. 


a,  a,  Larvae. 


6,  Melolontha  vulgaris,  or  May-beetle^        r,  Melolontha  copris,  or  Tumble-bug. 

The  corn  grub  is  a  whitish,  fat,  disgusting  grub,  from  one 
to  two  inches  long,  which  is  often  found  greatly  to  injure  corn 

E2 


106  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

as  well  as  grass  by  eating  the  roots,  sometimes  destroying  them 
so  completely  in  sod-land  that  the  grass  may  be  rolled  from  the 
surface  like  a  sheared  fleece.  It  especially  prevails  among 
corn  or  potatoes  planted  in  newly-plowed  sod-land.  Plowing 
in  the  fall  has  been  thought  to  expose  the  grub  to  destruction 
by  the  frost,  the  birds,  &c.  On  spring-plowed  sod  lime  sown 
at  the  rate  of  forty  bushels  per  acre,  or  salt  at  the  rate  of  five 
or  six  bushels,  before  the  last  harrowing,  will  be  found  of  ad- 
vantage. The  fall  plowing  is  probably  to  be  preferred,  and,  if 
convenient,  the  lime  also  may  be  applied  after  the  spring  plow- 
ing. Crows,  jays,  and  some  other  birds  seek  the  grubs  eager- 
ly, and  destroy  large  numbers  of  them  every  season. 

Their  changes  are  completed  in  the  ground,  and  in  due  time 
the  MAY-BUG  makes  its  appearance.  This  is  the  rather  large, 
short,  light  brown  beetle,  with  rough,  or  ridged  and  slightly- 
punctured  wings,  and  feet  that  feel  like  claws,  which  abounds 
in  cherry-trees  in  the  spring  evenings,  flying  with  a  humming 
sound,  and  often  striking  with  some  force  against  an  object  in 
its  track,  when  in  general  it  quietly  settles  and  folds  its  large 
gauze  inner  wings  entirely  under  the  hard  cases  which  cover 
and  shield  them.  In  the  day  it  lies  quietly  among  the  leaves, 
or  returns  to  its  hiding-place  in  the  sod.  Its  eggs  are  de- 
posited in  the  earth,  and  in  two  weeks  the  small  grubs  are 
hatched. 

The  European  variety  of  May-bug,  which  ours  closely  resem- 
bles, becomes  a  scourge  at  times,  stripping  whole  forests  of  their 
foliage ;  and  it  is  generally  said  that  ours  eats  the  leaves  of 
cherry  and  other  trees.  Fitch  reports  a  single  instance  of  its 
serious  depredations,  but  I  have  never  known  it  to  do  noticea- 
ble injury  to  any  thing,  and  mention  it  among  injurious  insects 
only  on  account  of  its  connection  with  my  subject  as  parent  of 
the  corn-grub.  As  the  May-bugs  are,  in  general,  much  more 
easily  caught  than  the  grub,  it  is  desirable  to  destroy  them  as 
far  as  possible.  They  may  be  caught  in  numbers  at  midday, 
and  more  freely  toward  evening,  by  being  shaken  from  the  trees 
into  a  sheet,  and  destroyed  by  crushing,  or  scalding,  or  fire. 

The  grub  of  the  tumble-bug  or  dung  beetle,  Melolontha  co- 
pris,  is  supposed  to  have  similar  bad  habits  with  the  former, 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  107 

but  it  is  comparatively  scarce  and  of  little  consequence,  and  the 
same  natural  enemies  repress  its  increase. 

CUCUMBER  BORER. 
LARVA   OF   .EGERIA   CUCURBITS. 

The  winged  insect  is  orange-colored,  with  some  black  spots 
on  the  body,  and  black  and  orange -colored  hairs  fringing  its 
legs.  The  eggs  are  deposited  near  the  roots  of  the  plants  in 
July  and  August. 

The  larva  is  a  small  worm  that  sometimes  destroys  cucum- 
ber arid  squash  vines  after  they  are  well  grown,  or  even  in 
fruit,  by  eating  off  the  skin  of  the  main  root,  and  boring  it, 
when,  of  course,  the  whole  vine  wilts  and  dies.  It  is  not  very 
common,  but  in  some  seasons  makes  naked  spots  in  the  squash 
or  cucumber  patch.  All  vines  found  wilting  from  this  cause 
should  be  immediately  carried  away,  and  the  stems  and  roots  be 
burned,  or  boiled,  or  macerated  for  some  hours  in  water  poured 
hot  upon  them,  thus  preventing  the  perpetuation  and  increase 
of  the  insect. 

CUT  WORM. 

Fig.  71. 

LAEVA,  WITH  PARENT  MOTH. 


a,  Larva 

&,  Agrotis  devastator. 

This  moth,  says  Fitch,  is  of  a  grayish  brown,  and,  when 
spread,  measures  from  an  inch  and  a  quarter  to  an  inch  and  a 
half  across.  Extending  from  the  base  of  the  wing  along  the 
inside  of  the  inner  stripe  is  a  broad  black  or  dark-brown  streak, 
crossed  by  two  slender  pale  bars,  not  parallel,  whence  it  is 
named  the  dart  moth  ;  this  is  its  distinctive  mark. 


108  AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEX. 

The  moths  that  become  the  parent  of  the  cut  worm  are  not 
certainly  known,  but  are  supposed  by  Dr.  Fitch  to  be  the  dart 
moth  above  referred  to,  and  other  evening  or  owlet  moths  of 
similar  character. 

The  eggs  are  dropped  upon  the  ground  in  the  latter  part  of 
summer ;  they  soon  hatch,  and  the  young  worm  crawls  into 
the  ground  and  feeds  upon  the  roots  and  young  shoots  of  her- 
baceous plants.  When  cold  weather  comes  it  descends  a  few 
inches  below  the  surface,  and  remains  torpid  till  spring.  Late 
in  the  summer  it  becomes  a  chrysalis,  which  resembles  a  long, 
thin  egg,  of  a  chestnut-brown  color,  having  several  impressed 
rings  or  joints  toward  its  pointed  or  tail  end.  From  this,  in 
three  or  four  weeks,  the  miller  or  moth  comes  forth,  the  parent 
of  another  generation. 

The  cut  worm  is  of  various  shades,  from  light  drab  to  black, 
and  of  different  varieties,  which  are  not  clearly  distinguished 
by  writers  on  insects.  Most  of  them  have  the  habit,  whence 
their  name  is  derived,  of  cutting  off  the  young  leaves  or  ten- 
der stems  of  plants  just  above  the  ground,  and  drawing  them 
into  the  mouth  of  their  hole,  furnishing,  like  some  other  thieves, 
a  clew  to  discovery  by  the  effort  to  hide. 

The  red-headed  cut  worms,  or  tiger  worms,  found  south  of 
New  York,  cut  under  ground.  Their  depredations  are  contin- 
ued throughout  the  summer  upon  the  young  corn,  beans,  pep- 
pers, etc.,  but  they  are  most  numerous  in  June  and  July,  at 
which  time  they  are  so  destructive  to  the  young,  freshly-set 
cabbage-plants  that  it  is  common  for  market-gardeners  to  de- 
fer planting  until  they  disappear,  which  they  generally  do  near 
New  York  before  the  first  of  August,  going  deeper  into  the 
ground,  and  assuming  the  chrysalis  form. 

The  crow,  with  some  other  birds,  and  a  species  of  dragon-fly, 
are  inveterate  enemies  of  the  cut  worm,  and  Fitch  recom- 
mends the  making  of  deep  holes  with  a  stick  about  their  places 
of  resort,  into  which  they  fall,  and,  it  is  supposed,  can  not  get 
out.  This,  however,  would  appear  not  only  doubtful,  but  also 
as  involving,  perhaps,  more  labor  than  the  ordinary  and  direct 
course,  which  is  simply  to  glance  along  the  rows  of  your  crop 
early  in  the  day.  and,  wherever  the  presence  of  the  marauder  is 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  109 

detected,  either  by  a  cut  leaf  or  a  wilted  plant,  search  for  him 
just  below  the  surface  and  crush  him. 

HEART  WORM. 
Called  also  Top  Worm.     Spindle  Worm. 

LARVA   OF   THE   GORTYNIA   ZEA. 

The  moth  is  of  a  rust-red  color,  somewhat  mottled  with  gray, 
and  having  a  few  black  dots. 

The  larva  is  a  rather  slender  and  active  yellowish-green 
worm,  with  dark  head,  and  spots  and  rings.  It  is  from  half 
an  inch  to  an  inch  long.  Hatched  in,  or  entering  the  side  of 
the  corn-plant,  it  eats  into  it  when  from  three  to  nine  inches 
high,  consuming  the  heart  or  spindle  of  the  young  spear,  and 
where  it  abounds  the  crop  of  corn  is  greatly  lessened  or  de- 
stroyed. It  infests  also  the  dahlia  and  some  other  plants. 
Remedy :  catch  and  crush  him,  or  stop  his  hole,  and  pour  into 
the  plant  a  little  weak  ley.  Perhaps,  if  attended  to  early,  he 
might  be  crushed,  without  injuring  the  growth,  by  carefully 
compressing  the  young  spear  between  the  thumb  and  finger, 
or  a  fine  wire  passed  into  his  hole  might  pierce  him. 

The  "corn-borer"  or  bill-bug  of  the  South  is  of  similar 
habit,  though  operating  upon  the  crop  at  a  later  period  of  its 
growth.  The  same  remedies  may  be  used  for  both  as  far  as 
practicable.  For  the  latter  the  annual  fall  burning  of  the 
corn- stumps,  in  which  the  chry sales  are  formed  and  pass  the 
winter,  has  been  found  an  effectual  check. 

HOP  WORM. 
LARVA  OP  THE  HYPENA  HUMULI. 

The  hop  worm  is  about  an  inch  long  when  full  grown,  of  a 
greenish- white  color,  watery-looking  or  semi-transparent,  and 
slightly  striped  and  dotted,  having  fourteen  legs.  The  mouth 
is  yellowish,  and  the  tips  of  the  jaws  black. 

The  moth  is  about  an  inch  long,  and  varies  in  color  from 
quite  dark  to  a  dull  white.  The  worms  appear  early  in  June, 
and  continue  until  late  in  August,  feeding  upon  and  nearly 
consuming  the  tissue  of  the  leaves. 


110 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 


The  common  remedy  of  syringing  or  showering  the  vines 
with  strong  soap-suds,  or  with  a  solution  of  whale-oil  soap,  is 
prescribed  for  this  and  some  other  insects  which  commonly  or 
occasionally  infest  hop-vines. 

PARSLEY  WORM. 

Fig.  72. 

LABVA,   WITH  PAEENT  BUTTEBFLY. 


a,  Larva ;  &,  Papilio  Troilus. 

This  is  a  yellowish-green  worm,  wTith  black  streaks  and  spots, 
and  a  pair  of  hidden  yellowish  fleshy  horns,  united  at  the  base, 
which  it  throws  up  when  disturbed,  and  from  which  an  offensive 
and  sickening  odor  is  emitted.  It  is  from  an  inch  to  two  inch- 
es long,  not  very  numerous,  but  rather  voracious.  It  feeds  upon 
the  parsley,  parsnep,  and  some  other  plants.  The  only  known 
remedy  is  to  catch  and  crush  him. 

ROOT  WORMS. 
TURNIP  ROOT  WORM. 

LARVA  OF  ANTHOMYIA  CANICCTLAEIS.  . 

RADISH  ROOT  WORM. 

LAKVA  OF  ANTHOMYIA  RAPHANI,  OB  RADICPM  OF  EUROPE. 

ONION  ROOT  WORM. 

LARVA  OF  ANTHOMYIA  CEPARUM. 

The  anthomyise,  which,  according  to  Harris,  are  the  parents 
of  these  various  root  worms,  are  the  small  "  flower  flies,"  which 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  Ill 

appear  and  swarm  like  certain  kinds  of  gnats,  or  like  the  small 
flies  that  frequent  foul  spo^s  and  ordure. 

The  worms  are  white,  and  usually  from  a  quarter  to  half  an 
inch  long.  They  are  found  only  in  diseased  vegetables,  as 
stunted  radishes,  cabbages,  or  turnips.  The  true  remedy  is  to 
pull  and  burn  or  boil  the  crop  as  soon  as  it  is  discovered  to  be 
infested,  and  endeavor  to  avoid  such  necessity  in  future  by 
timely  sowing  and  good  culture. 


WIRE  WORM,  OR  RED  WORM. 


Fig.  73. 


LAEVA  WITH  PAEENT  ^  reddish-brown  worm,  produced  by  the 
click-bug,  about  an  inch  long,  with  a  very 
tough,  smooth  skin,  slightly  hinged  or  joint- 
ed. It  enters  the  root  or  under-ground  por- 
tion of  the  stem  of  plants,  and  eats  its  way 
up  through  the  heart,  causing  death. 

Larva;  &,  K later  se-          ,->,  n        .1  •  i 

or  ciick-bug.  Generally  these  insects  are  rather  scarce 
and  shy,  but  at  certain  periods,  and  in  different  and  limited  sec- 
tions, a  sudden  and  large  increase  takes  place,  and  they  become 
very  destructive  to  corn  and  other  crops.  Among  garden  veg- 
etables they  sometimes  attack  lettuce,  and  the  pink  tribe  among 
flowers.  They  can  scarcely  be  crushed  in  the  earth  ;  to  catch 
them  by  hand,  and  either  cut  or  pull  them  in  two,  or  crush  them 
upon  a  stone,  seems  the  only  promising  mode  of  open  warfare ; 
but  they  are  sometimes  baited  with  slices  of  turnip  or  potato 
laid  upon  or  just  under  the  ground,  which  they  enter,  and  are 
gathered  daily  and  destroyed. 

BEE  WORM. 

Fig.  74. 

LAEVA,  WITH  PAEENT  MOTHS. 
\ 


o,  Larva ;  &,  Galleria  cereana  (male). 

The  bee  worm  is  a  yellowish- white  worm,  with  brownish 


«      112  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

Fig  74  dots,  having  sixteen  legs.     When 

first  hatched,  it  is  not  much  thicker 
than  a  thread,  but  attains  its  full 
size  in  about  three  weeks.  The 
moth  is  about  three  fourths  of  an 
inch  long,  of  a  dusty  gray  color, 

c,  Galleria  cereana  (female).  111         •,!  TII  ,t 

dashed  with  purplish  brown,  the 

female  being  somewhat  darker  and  larger  than  the  male.  The 
wings,  which  slope  back  flatly,  are  notched,  and  turned  up  a  lit- 
tle at  the  end.  The  moth  lays  her  eggs  in  the  dirt  or  crevices 
near  the  mouth  of  the  hive,  or  enters  at  night  and  deposits 
them  in  the  chinks  inside.  In  about  two  weeks  the  small 
thread-like  worm  is  hatched,  which  soon  becomes  covered  with 
a  silky  tube,  spun  from  the  wax  on  which  it  feeds.  Keeping 
itself  always  incased  in  this,  where  the  bees'  stings  can  not 
penetrate,  or  masked  by  a  thick  coating  of  wax,  which  prevents 
their  approach,  it  labors  incessantly  to  destroy  the  cells  which 
the  bees  have  so  industriously  and  skillfully  built.  Two  broods 
are  hatched  in  a  season,  and  if  neglected  through  the  summer, 
the  strong  silken  cocoons  or  webs  become,  by  the  beginning  of 
fall,  very  numerous  in  the  infested  hives,  and  almost  the  whole 
of  the  comb  broken  and  defiled,  so  that  at  length  the  bees  are 
wearied  and  driven  out.  In  hot  and  dry  seasons  they  are 
most  troublesome,  especially  to  weak  swarms. 

The  presence  of  the  bee  worm  in  a  hive  may  be  known  by 
the  wax-dust  and  black  castings  of  the  worm  lying  upon  the 
floor.  If  the  quantity  of  these  is  small,  a  careful  examination 
of  the  upper  parts  of  the  hive,  destroying  the  worms  as  you  go, 
may  suffice  ;  but  if  large,  showing  that  the  enemy  is  in  consid- 
erable force,  you  had  better  drive  the  bees,  that  is,  provide  a 
hive  of  the  same  size,  put  in  plenty  of  rests  or  cross-sticks, 
and  wash  the  inside  with  hop  tea  sweetened  to  a  sirup ;  early 
in  the  evening,  before  the  bees  get  very  sleepy,  having  closed 
the  mouths  of  both  hives,  turn  the  old  one  bottom  upward,  and 
quickly  fit  the  new  one  over  it ;  drum  upon  the  outside  of  the 
former,  and  the  bees  will  leave  it.  Before  morning,  place  the 
new  hive  upon  a  new,  clean  stand,  with  food  upon  it  sufficient 
for  a  week ;  shut  in  the  bees  for  that  time,  and  for  the  second 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  113 

week  keep  them  fed,  and  let  them  out  only  in  the  edge  of  the 
evening,  affording  them  no  time  to  wander.  If  found  neces- 
sary to  strengthen  them  in  their  new  home,  feed  the  contents 
of  the  old  hive  to  them,  or  supply  them  freely  otherwise. 

The  following  arrangement  might  perhaps  prevent  the  depre- 
dations of  the  enemy.  Place  the  stand  for  your  hive  upon  a 
single  centre  pillar,  and  take  care  that  it  is  no  larger  than  the 
hive,  except  a  small  projection  in  front  of  the  entrance  ;  put  an 
apron  of  tin  entirely  around  it,  extending  an  inch  or  two  be- 
low the  edge ;  let  it  spread  upon  and  cover  the  small  "  door- 
step" of  the  hive.  Close  even  the  minutest  crevices  all  around 
with  grafting  composition  No.  3,  and  whenever  there  is  pecul- 
iar risk  of  injury  from  the  insects,  fit  to  the  door  of  the  hive  a 
slide  of  woven  wire,  to  be  closed  every  evening  during  the  moth 
season. 

MOLES. 

Much  injury  sometimes  results  from  the  running  of  moles  in 
a  garden,  particularly  in  light  soils,  but  they  also  do  good  in 
the  destruction  of  various  insects  inhabiting  the  soil,  often  more 
than  counterbalancing  their  injuries.  If  they  become  too  nu- 
merous, they  may  be  caught  with  a  hoe  or  hook,  if  watched  for 
at  their  ordinary  meal-times,  morning,  noon,  and  evening. 
Sometimes  they  are  caught  in  a  small  twitch-up  trap.  There 
are  also  various  patent  traps  for  the  purpose,  which  are  more  or 
less  efficient.  A  clergyman  in  New  Jersey  has  recently  in- 
vented a  spiked  dead-fall  trap,  which  is  said  to  be  unusually 
effective. 

It  is  stated  that  pieces  of  salt  codfish  put  into  their  runs,  or 
castor-beans  planted  here  and  there  in  the  garden,  will  drive 
them  away.  Any  of  these  expedients  may  be  tried,  if  thought 
worth  while. 


114  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


CHAPTER  XL 

VEGETABLES  FOR  THE  GARDEN. 

Vegetables  for  the  Garden,  etc.,  with  Descriptions  and  Directions  for  their 
Culture. — Assortment  of  Seeds  for  a  Family  Garden. 

ARTICHOKE. 

French,  Artichaut. — German,  Artischoke. — Spanish,  Cinauco.     Aleachofa. 

PURPLE,  GREEN,  ETC. 

BRIEF    DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  thinly,  or  drop  single  seeds  at  a  distance  of  three  or 
four  inches  in  drills  one  inch  deep  and  twelve  inches  apart. 
Keep  them  perfectly  clear  of  weeds,  and  hoe  them  often  through- 
out the  season. 

The  following  spring  transplant  them  into  very  rich  soil,  in 
hills  four  feet  apart  each  way,  setting  one,  two,  or  three  plants 
in  a  hill.  Keep  them  clean  and  cultivated  as  before. 

Cover  them  well  with  earth  or  litter  for  winter. 

Time  :  sow  or  transplant  in  early  spring,  say  April  at  New 
York. 

The  purple  (flowered)  or  green-globe  artichoke  resembles  a 
huge  thistle-head,  formed  with  broad,  thick  scales.  The  heads 
are  cut  when  of  full  size,  just  before  blossoming,  and  being  well 
boiled,  are  served  up  with  drawn  butter. 

The  eatable  part  consists  of  a  thin  layer  of  soft  marrowy  sub- 
stance upon  the  inside  of  each  scale,  and  the  thick,  tender, 
tabular  base  or  bottom  upon  which  the  scales  and  down  of  the 
blossom  are  set.  It  may  be  cultivated  as  a  tit-bit  for  an  epi- 
cure, but  would  not  form  a  very  substantial  contribution  to  a 
farmer's  table. 

It  may  be  raised  from  seed  sown  at  the  opening  of  spring  or 
from  young  suckers  ;  it  requires  deep  rich  soil,  and  the  plants 
or  hills  should  stand  at  least  four  feet  apart  each  way.  A 
good  winter  protection  of  earth  or  litter  is  advisable,  to  be  re- 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  115 

moved  at  the  opening  of  spring,  when  the  earth  should  also  be 
lightly  dug  about  them,  and  the  hills  dressed. 

The  time  to  cut  the  heads  for  use  is  immediately  before  the 
appearance  of  the  blossom,  just  when  the  centre  of  the  head  be- 
gins to  open. 

JERUSALEM  ARTICHOKE,  HELIANTHUS  TUBEROSUS. 

French,  Poire  de  Terre. — German,  Erde  Apfel. — Spanish,  Girasol. 

This  is  a  tuberous-rooted  species  of  sunflower,  which  affords 
tolerable  food  for  hogs  when  planted  in  a  low  rich  spot,  of  which 
it  can  have  full  possession  until  the  swine  are  turned  in  to 
root  it  up ;  it  needs  only  to  be  once  planted  in  the  manner  of 
potatoes  to  insure  a  large  crop  every  year,  if  the  hogs  are  kept 
out  until  fall,  when  they  will  leave  enough  seed  in  the  ground 
for  the  next  year's  crop. 

This  root  is  sometimes  used  for  pickling,  or  eaten  cut  up  in 
vinegar  as  cucumbers,  and  still  more  rarely  boiled  for  use  by 
those  who  happen  to  fancy  a  sweetish,  watery  potato,  which, 
when  cooked,  it  nearly  resembles.  It  has  been  used  to  some 
extent  for  sheep,  and  even  the  tops  cured  for  winter  fodder,  but 
it  is  probably  comparatively  valueless  for  these  purposes. 

ASPARAGUS. 

French,  Asperge. — German,  SpargeL-^- Spanish,  Esparrago. 

GIANT,  WHITE,  GREEN,  ETC. 

BRIEF    DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  thinly  in  shallow  drills  twelve  inches  apart.  Hoe 
often,  and  keep  perfectly  clear  of  weeds.  At  one  year  old  the 
plants  may  be  transplanted  into  permanent  beds,  at  one  foot 
apart  each  way.  Time  :  sow  in  the  fall  or  as  early  in  spring 
as  practicable.  Transplant  in  spring. 

Asparagus  is  a  well-known  and  delicious  vegetable ;  it  is 
raised  from  seed,  which  may  be  sown  in  fall  or  early  spring. 
The  plants  at  one  or  two  years  old  are  transplanted  into  beds 
at  one  foot  apart  each  way,  or,  if  cultivated  upon  a  large  scale, 
into  rows  at  three  feet  distance,  so  as  to  admit  the  plow,  the 


116  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

plants  being  set  one  foot  apart  in  the  rows.  It  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  give  asparagus  a  warm,  rich  soil,  and,  if  it  is  in- 
tended to  make  a  permanent  bed  for  a  private  garden,  it  would 
be  well  to  dig  out  the  whole  space,  and  underlay  the  bed  with 
six  inches  or  more  of  well -rotted  manure,  or  trench  the  ground 
at  least  eighteen  inches  deep,  mixing  it  thoroughly  and  plenti- 
fully with  such  manure  in  the  process,  adding  sand  or  road- 
wash  if  the  soil  be  heavy. 

Let  the  bed  be  so  prepared  in  the  fall,  and  in  spring,  having 
dug  it  over,  raked  it  smoothly,  and  with  your  marker  laid  it 
out  in  one-foot  squares,  put  in  your  plants  exactly  at  the  points 
where  the  lines  intersect,  covering  the  crowns  about  three 
inches  deep.  Keep  it  perfectly  clear  of  weeds,  and,  if  a  drought 
comes  on,  give  attention  to  watering  it. 

One  year  from  the  time  of  planting  you  may  expect  a  light 
cutting  for  the  table ;  but  you  had  much  better  not  cut  any 
the  first  year  after  planting  than  risk  the  injury  to  your  suc- 
ceeding crops  by  cutting  too  much. 

Top-dress  your  bed  with  well -rotted  manure  every  fall,  dig 
the  surface  lightly  over  in  the  spring,  and  water  it  with  the 
old  brine  from  your  pork-barrel,  or  strew  salt  over  the  bed. 

By  this  process  you  will  have  asparagus  sufficiently  gigan- 
tic ;  and,  if  you  desire  it  white,  cover  your  bed  six  or  eight 
inches  deep  with  road-wash  or  beach  sand,  and  cut  the  aspar- 
agus at  that  depth  with  a  long  knife  whenever  it  shows  itself 
an  inch  or  less  above  this  covering. 

In  cultivating  asparagus  upon  a  large  scale,  let  your  land  be 
most  thoroughly  manured  ;  set  the  plants  four  inches  deep,  in 
rows  three  feet  apart,  and  one  foot  between  the  plants  in  the 
row ;  keep  it  clean  with  the  plow  and  corn-harrow,  or  cultivator, 
manuring  it  every  fall  if  possible ;  and,  if  you  choose  to  plow 
in  the  manure  lightly  across  the  rows,  as  if  the  ground  were 
uncropped,  it  will  bear  the  operation  carefully  performed  with- 
out injury  to  the  next  year's  product,  and  with  great  advan- 
tage in  keeping  it  clean  with  little  labor. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  117 

BEANS  (English). 

French,  Feve  de  Marais, — German,  Grosse  Bokne. — Spanish,  Haba. 
BROAD   WINDSOR,  LONG  POD,  &C. 

BRIEF    DIRECTIONS. 

Drop  the  seed  at  about  three  inches  distance,  in  drills  two 
inches  deep  and  two  feet  apart. 

Hoe  often,  drawing  the  earth  to  them  a  little  from  time  to 
time  until  they  are  in  full  bloom :  then  nip  the  end  of  each 
stem  an  inch  or  two,  and  wait  for  the  crop. 

Time  :  the  earliest  possible  in  spring  both  South  and  North, 
or  through  the  winter  months  in  the  former. 

These  beans,  if  raised  at  all,  should  be  planted  in  strong 
moist  soil  at  the  times  and  in  the  manner  above  directed. 

They  are  used  as  shelled  beans,  being  gathered  when  the 
pods  attain  their  full  size,  but  while  still  green  and  tender. 

Though  a  favorite  vegetable  with  some,  they  are  rather  a 
coarse  delicacy,  and  are  not  likely  to  be  generally  esteemed. 
Commonly,  too,  they  do  not  bear  well  with  us,  and  if  but  a 
slight  drought  come  upon  them  in  their  growth,  the  black 
aphis  will  eat  them  up. 

The  horse  bean  is  a  small  variety  of  this  species,  which  in 
Europe  is  raised  extensively  as  a  farm  crop.  It  is  commonly 
mixed  with  oats  in  feeding  horses,  being  considered  very  strong 
food,  and  from  its  heating  quality  requiring  to  be  used  in  mod- 
erate quantities. 

BUSH  BEANS. 
French,  Haricots  nains. — German,  Stambohnen. — Spanish,  Frijoles. 

BUSH  BEANS.  DWARF  BEANS.  KIDNEY  BEANS.   CRANBERRY 
BEANS.   SNAPS. 

Early  Mohawk.   Early  China.    Union.    Rob  Roy.    Valentine. 
Large  White  Kidney.    Marrowfat.    Refugee,  etc.,  etc. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  thinly  in  rows  from  eighteen  inches  to  two  feet  wide, 
and  about  an  inch  deep ;  hoe  often,  drawing  the  earth  a  little 


118  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

to  them,  and  sow  plaster  upon  them  at  least  once  before  they 
blossom. 

Time  :  corn-planting  time  for  spring.  July  to  October,  ac- 
cording to  latitude,  for  fall  use  or  salting  for  winter. 

At  New  York,  May  to  August. 

Bush  beans  are  sometimes  called  kidney  beans  from  the  form 
of  many  of  the  varieties,  and  cranberry  for  the  same  reason ; 
snaps  from  their  being  used  while  the  pods  are  sufficiently  ten- 
der to  snap  without  showing  fibres,  and  dwarfs  or  bush  beans 
from  their  habit  of  growth,  not  requiring  poles,  but  being  self- 
supporters. 

These  beans  may  be  planted  from  the  very  earliest  corn- 
planting  time  to  the  last  month  of  summer  at  the  North,  and 
at  the  South  on  into  September.  In  favorable  weather  six 
weeks  for  the  earlier  kinds,  and  eight  weeks  for  the  later,  will 
be  found  long  enough  to  allow  for  the  production  of  the  green 
crop.  They  should  be  thinly  sown  in  rows  about  eighteen 
inches  or  two  feet  apart,  and  covered  about  an  inch.  Hoe 
them  well  as  soon  as  they  come  up,  earth  them  up  a  little  as 
they  grow,  sowing  plaster  lightly  over  them  from  time  to  time, 
and  there  is  scarcely  a  fear  of  failure. 

For  early  kinds,  the  Mohawk,  the  China,  and  the  Valentine 
may  be  sown.  To  succeed  these,  the  Union,  the  Rob  Roy,  the 
marrowfat,  the  large  white  kidney,  and  the  refugee. 

The  China,  the  white  kidney,  the  marrowfat,  the  Valentine, 
the  Union,  are  all  superior  to  the  common  white  or  dumpling 
bean  for  winter  use  in  the  dry  state,  and  on  this  account  are 
preferable  to  the  darker  colored  beans,  which,  when  dry,  arc 
unfit  for  cooking,  dark-colored  beans  being  both  strong  and  un- 
sightly. The  refugee  is  perhaps  the  best  bean  to  plant  late  for 
pickles,  or  for  salting  green  for  winter  use  as  a  table  vegetable. 

For  this  latter  purpose  the  beans  are  prepared  as  for  cooking, 
many  persons  splitting  the  pods  in  the  process,  especially  if 
they  are  pretty  large  or  old.  They  are  then  slightly  scalded, 
and  when  cool  are  packed  closely  into  a  keg  or  barrel,  each  lay- 
er being  carefully  but  moderately  salted,  and  a  few  sprigs  of 
summer  savory  or  other  aromatic  herb  added.  When  required 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  119 

for  cooking,  they  are  soaked  a  while  to  remove  the  excess  of  salt, 
and  then  boiled  in  the  ordinary  manner.  With  proper  care 
they  will  keep  good  until  spring. 

In  raising  beans  in  large  quantities  the  land  should  be  fur- 
rowed with  a  horse-marker  or  light  plow,  about  two  feet  apart, 
and  the  beans  sown  by  hand,  and  covered  with  the  potato- 
hook  ;  or  any  good  corn-planter  may  be  used,  which  will  com- 
plete the  operation  at  once. 

The  after-culture  should  be  performed  with  the  skeleton 
plow  and  light  harrow,  or  the  cultivator,  to  keep  them  clean, 
and  either  a  single  or  a  double  mould-plow  to  slightly  earth 
them  up,  after  which  but  little  finishing  off  by  the  hand-hoe 
will  be  required. 

For  analysis  of  bush  beans  and  their  value,  see  page  500. 

POLE   BEANS. 

French,  Haricots  a  rames. — German,  Stangbohnen. — Spanish,  Judias. 
LARGE  LIMA.      SMALL   LIMA  OR  CAROLINA.      HORTICULTURAL. 
DUTCH     CASE-KNIFE.       ASPARAGUS.       SCARLET    RUNNERS, 
&C.,  &C. 

Time  :  throughout  corn-planting  time  both  North  and  South. 
At  New  York  in  all  May. 

Pole  beans  require  to  be  planted  in  hills  from  two  to  four 
feet  apart,  in  which  poles  should  be  first  set  securely  by  the 
aid  of  a  crow-bar. 

Plant  four  or  five  beans  an  inch  and  a  half  deep  around  each 
pole,  and  from  four  to  six  inches  from  it.  When  well  up,  hoe 
and  thin  them,  leaving  three  or  four  of  the  strongest  and  most 
healthful  plants ;  keep  the  earth  well  hoed  and  loosened  about 
them ;  and  when  they  begin  to  run,  guide  them  to  the  pole  if 
they  do  not  find  it  readily,  being  careful  to  wind  them  in  the 
natural  direction.*  Continue  to  keep  the  earth  loose  and  clean 

*  Vegetables  and  woody  plants  that  wind  in  their  growth  do  not  all 
wind  in  one  direction,  but  each  kind  winds  uniformly  in  its  natural  course, 
and  no  other.  The  honeysuckle  and  the  hop  wind  "with  the  sun" — 
that  is,  the  point  of  the  vine  in  its  progress  passes  from  the  south  by  the 
west,  and  north  and  east  to  the  south  again ;  but  the  bitter  sweet,  the 
wistaria,  the  morning-glory,  the  cypress  vine,  and  the  bean,  wind  against 
the  sun — that  is,  the  point  grows  from  the  south  to  the  east,  and  by  the 
north  and  west  again  to  the  south. 


120  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

about  them,  hilling  them  up  a  little  from  time  to  time,  and 
sowing  plaster  lightly  upon  them  until  the  blossoming.  You 
may  then  wait  confidently  for  your  crop.  Those  which  are  un- 
ripe at  the  approach  of  severe  frost  should  be  shelled  and  dried 
in  the  sun  or  oven  for  after  use,  and  light-colored  ones  are  to 
be  preferred  for  the  reasons  given  in  the  former  article  in  refer- 
ence to  bush  beans. 

The  Dutch  case-knife,  the  cranberry,  the  asparagus,  and  some 
others,  may  be  used  as  snaps  while  very  young ;  the  Carolina, 
the  white  Dutch  runner,  the  horticultural,  and,  above  all,  the 
large  Lima  for  shelling.  The  scarlet  runners  are  pretty  flow- 
ering beans,  but  are  not  worth  raising  for  the  table. 

The  large  Lima  and  the  Carolina,  unless  in  very  warm  soil, 
should  not  be  planted  earlier  than  between  the  first  and  second 
corn-hoeing,  and  in  the  richest  and  warmest  spot ;  but  the  oth- 
er kinds  may  be  planted  as  early  as  it  is  safe  to  plant  corn, 
which  of  course  will  vary  with  latitude,  soil,  and  elevation. 

BEET. 

French,  Betterave. — German,  Rotke  Rube. — Spanish,  Remolacha. 
EARLY    BLOOD     TURNIP.       LONG    BLOOD.      WHITE    SUGAR    OR 
EARLY    WHITE    SCARCITY.      MANGEL    WURTZEL     OR    EARLY 
RED   SCARCITY.      YELLOW   SUGAR,  &C.,  &C. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  in  deep  rich  soil,  in  drills  twelve  or  fifteen  inches  apart, 
and  about  an  inch  deep.  Thin  the  plants  to  from  eight  to 
twelve  inches  apart,  and  hoe  often  till  the  tops  cover  the 
ground. 

Time  for  spring  or  summer  use :  at  the  South,  through 
the  winter  months  or  at  the  earliest  moment  of  spring ;  at  the 
North,  either  in  very  late  fall  or  very  early  spring. 

For  winter  use,  from  the  middle  of  June  to  the  middle  of 
July  at  the  North,  and  at  the  South  from  the  last  of  July  to 
the  middle  or  last  of  August. 

Beets,  in  general,  prefer  a  light,  rich,  and  deep  soil,  although 
the  turnip,  sugar,  and  mangel  wurtzel  beets,  growing  mostly 
above  ground,  may  be  well  raised  upon  any  soil  that  is  rich. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


121 


FORMS   OF   BEETS. 
Fig.  T5. 


a.  Inferior  Turnip  Beet. 
6.  Fair 

c.  Better  " 

d.  Best  " 


e.  Worthless  long  Beet. 
/.  Inferior  " 

g.  Fair  « 

h.  Best  " 


122  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

For  early  use,  the  seed  of  blood  turnip  beet  may  be  sown  in 
fall  or  winter,  or  at  the  very  first  opening  of  spring,  on  extra 
rich  ground,  in  rows  twelve  inches  apart,  between  which  early 
salad  or  radishes  may  be  sown  if  saving  of  space  be  an  object, 
these  coming  off  before  the  beets  require  the  whole  ground,  and 
the  beets  can  be  thinned  by  pulling  the  young  plants  for  greens. 

For  winter,  both  the  blood  turnip  and  the  long  blood  are 
now  extensively  used,  the  former  being  valued  not  only  for  its 
intrinsic  excellence  when  raised  properly,  but  also  for  its  keep- 
ing qualities.  It  may  be  preserved  in  good  order  until  June. 

Long  blood  beets  for  winter  use  should  not  be  sown  at  the 
North  until  from  the  middle  to  the  end  of  June,  and  blood  tur- 
nip from  the  first  to  the  middle  of  July,  and  still  later  to  the 
South,  so  timing  them  as  to  allow  between  three  and  four 
months  for  them  to  attain  their  full  size.  As  soon  as  they 
are  well  up  they  should  be  thinned,  the  former  to  a  foot  apart 
each  way,  or  fifteen  inches  by  nine,  and  the  latter  to  one  foot 
by  six  inches.  Keep  them  well  hoed  and  the  earth  loose  until 
they  cover  the  ground  with  their  leaves  ;  sow  a  little  ash  com- 
post over  them  once  or  twice  during  their  growth,  if  possible 
just  before  rain ;  and  whenever  the  frost  even  but  lightly 
touches  the  tops,  gather  your  crop  immediately,  or  you  will  lose 
a  considerable  portion  of  its  sweetness.  The  tops  having  been 
carefully  and  closely  trimmed  off,  the  roots,  slightly  dried,  may 
be  kept  through  the  winter  by  being  buried  or  holed,  as  here- 
after directed ;  or  in  an  ordinary  cellar,  if  laid  up  dry,  not 
wilted,  and  covered  with  sand  or  earth. 

To  this  article  a  few  general  remarks  may  perhaps  be  profit- 
ably added. 

1st.  If  long  beets  are  raised  for  a  series  of  years  in  ground 
that  is  not  deeply  plowed  and  well  pulverized,  and  the  seed 
saved  from  them  is  annually  resown,  they  will  become  short- 
ened in  growth,  or  form  a  habit  of  growing  much  above 
ground,  and,  in  consequence  of  the  latter  peculiarity,  deterio- 
rate in  quality  for  the  table. 

2d.  The  kinds  named  above  are  the  only  kinds  really  worth 
raising,  and,  if  good  stock  is  obtained,  supply  all  that  can  be 
desired.  The  color  of  the  first  two  should  be  dark  blood,  but 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  123 

not  black,  for  extremely  dark  beets  will  rarely  grow  freely 
enough  to  possess  the  sweetness  desirable.  A  dark-rooted 
beet  with  a  rather  light  top  is  generally  the  best ;  when  cooked, 
it  will  be  of  a  bright  blood-color. 

The  mangel  wurtzel,  or  red  scarcity,  is  a  red-skinned  beet, 
but  white  inside,  growing  much  out  of  the  ground,  and,  although 
chiefly  used  for  feeding  cattle,  makes  a  tolerable  early  beet. 
The  white  sugar,  or  scarcity,  rather  shorter,  but  of  somewhat 
similar  habit,  having  sometimes  a  very  slight  tinge  of  pink 
upon  the  skin,  also  makes  a  good  early  beet.  These  varieties 
are 'unfit  for  winter  use.  Of  the  two,  the  white  sugar  is  the 
more  desirable,  being  of  rather  better  quality,  and  having  a  fine 
appearance  when  served  up  mixed  with  the  blood-colored  vari- 
eties. 

As  to  yellow  beets  and  the  thousand  mingled  varieties  that 
may  be  met  with,  their  dull,  dirty  appearance  when  cooked  is  a 
sufficient  objection  to  them,  not  one  of  them  possessing  any  pe- 
culiar excellence  to  counterbalance  this  defect.  No  sweeter  or 
more  tender  beets  can  be  raised  than  of  the  kinds  above  men- 
tioned, but  no  beet  can  be  raised  of  fine  quality  unless  rapidly 
grown.  For  this  end,  rich  soil,  sufficient  room,  and  frequent 
hoeing  are  indispensable.  If  from  any  cause  it  grow  slowly, 
or  receive  a  check,  as  not  ^infrequently  happens  in  drought  and 
from  early  frosts,  the  taste  of  potash,  and  not  sugar,  will  be 
found  when  it  is  eaten. 

I  have  not  named  those  beets  which  are  raised  expressly  for 
the  tops,  because  it  appears  absurd  to  cultivate  them.  One 
beet- top  is  almost  as  good  as  another,  when  grown  luxuriantly, 
and  if  tops  are  wanted,  they  can  be  plucked  from  the  rooted 
varieties.  As  a  farm  crop,  or  on  a  large  scale  for  marketing, 
beets  should  be  sown  in  rows  at  least  two  feet  apart,  and  thinned 
to  from  six  to  fifteen  inches  in  the  rows,  according  to  the  kinds 
and  the  object  proposed  in  raising  them.  If  raised  for  feed, 
being  planted  early  and  kept  well  plowed  and  harrowed,  two 
feet  by  fifteen  inches  will  probably  yield  as  much  per  acre 
as  if  left  closer,  and  it  is  manifest  that,  other  things  being 
equal,  the  fewer  in  number  the  roots  may  be  the  less  will  be 
the  labor  of  gathering  them.  For  analysis  of  beets,  and  their 
value  as  a  crop  for  feed,  see  p.  500. 


124  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

Beets  may  be  well  kept  through  the  winter  by  piling  them 
carefully  on  a  level  or  slightly  raised  surface,  and  covering  them 
about  a  foot  thick  with  earth,  packed  and  sloped  so  as  to  shed 
rain,  adding  other  covering  in  winter,  if  found  necessary.  This 
is  called  "  holing."  Or  they  may  be  kept  in  bins  in  the  cellar ; 
but  when  in  small  quantity,  they  may  be  packed  in  ordinary 
barrels,  and  either  headed  or  covered  thinly  with  earth,  in  any 
place  where  the  frost  does  not  reach. 

BENE  PLANT. 

This  is  the  Sesamum  Orientale  of  botanists,  and  has,  so  far 
as  I  know,  no  other  designation  than  bene  in  the  French,  Ger- 
man, and  Spanish  languages.  Sow  in  a  drill  an  inch  deep ; 
thin  the  plants  to  six  or  eight  inches  apart,  and  keep  clean. 

Time  :  corn-planting  time.     May  at  New  York. 

The  bene  plant  is  rather  a  medicinal  herb  than  a  garden 
vegetable,  but  its  value  as  a  palliative  or  remedy  in  summer 
complaint  among  children  has  given  it  a  claim  to  a  place  in 
the  home  garden. 

It  is  prepared  by  infusing  the  leaves  or  seeds  for  a  short 
time  in  water.  It  thus  yields  a  tasteless  mucilaginous  drink, 
which  is  said  to  be  very  useful  in  the  complaint  referred  to. 

BROCOLL 

French,  Brocoli. — German,  Kohl  Italianische. — Spanish,  Broculi. 

EARLY    PURPLE    CAPE.       EARLY  WHITE    CAPE.       LATE    WHITE, 

&C.,  &C. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Set  the  plants  twenty  inches  apart,  in  rows  two  feet  wide,  in 
rich  soil,  and  hoe  often. 

Time  at  the  South :  sow  from  August  to  January,  and  set 
out  as  soon  as  the  plants  are  large  enough. 

New  York  and  the  North  generally :  sow  in  September,  and 
set  out  in  April  or  early  in  May  for  summer  use.  For  fall 
crop,  sow  in  the  first  half  of  May ;  set  out  in  July. 

There  are  more  than  forty  varieties  of  brocoli,  but  the  best, 
and  perhaps  the  only  desirable  kind  for  us,  is  the  "  early  pur- 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  125 

pie  cape."  The  early  white  may  be  worth  trying,  and  some- 
times the  cauliflower  is  sold  by  this  name ;  but  the  labor  be- 
stowed upon  the  late  white  is  generally  wasted.  It  is  a  large- 
growing  but  profitless  variety. 

The  early  purple  cape  is  a  somewhat  surer  crop  than  cauli- 
flower, and  seed  of  good  stock  is  more  readily  obtained,  but  it 
is  so  far  inferior  that,  where  cauliflower  can  be  successfully 
raised,  it  is  sheer  folly  to  plant  the  brocoli. 

The  full  directions  given  for  raising  cauliflower  are  equally 
suitable  for  brocoli ;  or,  for  the  fall  planting,  the  latter  may  be 
treated  precisely  as  directed  for  winter  cabbages. 

BRUSSELS  SPROUTS. 

French,  Chou  de  Bruxelles. — German,  Sprossen  Kohl. — Spanish,  Col  de  tallo 

de  Bruselas. 

If  raised  at  all,  sow  and  treat  in  all  respects  as  directed  for 
Savoy  cabbage  (which  see),  observing  that  in  heeling  in  Brus- 
sels sprouts  for  winter  the  earth  must  not  cover  that  part  of  the 
stems  from  which  the  sprouts  grow. 

Brussels  sprouts  is  a  species  of  cabbage  about  as  hardy  as 
the  curled  Savoy,  which  in  growth  it  somewhat  resembles.  It 
does  not  form  a  main  head,  but  grows  up  with  a  considerable 
stem,  bearing  at  the  top  a  pretty  large  bunch  of  leaves,  of  which 
the  outer  ones  are  quite  long,  declining,  and  coarse ;  the  inner 
or  crown  leaves,  which  are  much  stronger  flavored  than  the  Sa- 
voy, become  fit  for  use  as  greens  only  after  the  most  thorough 
freezing. 

The  only  valuable  product  of  this  plant  consists  in  the 
mass  of  "  sprouts,"  or  small  button-like  heads,  with  which,  in 
plants  of  good  stock,  the  stem  is  thickly  set,  and  which,  being 
covered  by  the  overhanging  leaves,  become  white,  and  form  a 
tender  and  pleasant  dish  when  cut  from  under  their  slight  cov- 
ering in  mid- winter,  and  carefully  boiled  in  a  net. 

The  objection  on  account  of  lack  of  quantity  in  the  product, 
mentioned  in  the  case  of  Savoy,  holds  still  more  strongly  against 
the  Brussels  sprouts  ;  neither  has  it  any  peculiar  excellence  to 
balance  this  and  its  other  defects. 


126  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


CABBAGE  (Early,  or  Summer). 
French,  Choupomme. — German,  Kopfskohl. — Spanish,  Col. 

EARLY  YORK.  WAKEFIELD.  KNIGHT'S  EARLY.  LARGE  YORK. 
OX-HEART.  EMPEROR,  ETC.,  ETC. 

BRIEF    DIRECTIONS. 

Set  the  plants  twelve  or  fifteen  inches  apart,  in  rows  eight- 
een inches  to  two  feet  wide,  in  rich  soil,  and  hoe  often  and 
deeply. 

Time  :  at  the  North  sow  in  September,  or  in  hot  bed  last  of 
February  or  first  of  March  ;  set  out  in  the  last  half  of  April. 

In  New  York,  in  ordinary  seasons,  set  out  a  little  earlier, 
particularly  fall- sown  plants.  At  the  South  sow  and  set  out 
from  November  to  March. 

It  would  not  bfc  worth  while  to  enumerate  the  varieties  of 
cabbage  :  their  names  are  very  indefinite ;  new  varieties  or  sub- 
varieties  being  so  readily  obtained  that  there  seems  no  limit  to 
the  possible  number ;  and,  as  new  names  sometimes  sell  old 
books,  so  old  varieties  of  vegetables  are  sometimes  found  under 
new  designations  for  the  same  end,  or  novelty  is  attained  by  a 
very  slight  variation.  But,  by  whatever  names  they  may  be 
called,  four  or  five  kinds  will  fill  up  the  season's  course,  and 
complete  the  necessary  supply  of  this  vegetable  for  a  family. 

1.  Early  York,  or  any  early  cabbage,  "Wakefield,  Knight's, 
etc.,  should  be  sown  in  September  or  October,  and  when  about 
two  inches  high  transplanted  into  a  pit  or  cold  bed  about  two 
inches  apart  for  wintering ;  or  they  may  be  sown  in  a  hot  bed 
in  the  latter  half  of  February  or  former  part  of  March,  and, 
after  being  hardened  by  gradual  exposure  in  the  beginning  of 
April,  may  be  set  out  at  any  time  after  the  middle  of  that 
month  in  rows  eighteen  inches  to  two  feet  wide,  at  a  distance 
of  twelve  or  fifteen  inches  in  the  rows.     Plants  that  have  been 
wintered  may  be  set  out  rather  earlier  than  hot-bed  plants,  and 
will  usually  come  off  in  time  to  sow  turnips  for  winter  use 
upon  the  ground  they  occupied. 

2.  The  large  York,  or  ox-heart,  or  any  second  cabbage,  may 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  127 

be  sown  and  set  out  at  the  same  time  or  a  few  days  later  than 
the  former,  giving  them  also  a  little  more  room — say  sixteen 
inches  apart  by  twenty-four.  These  will  succeed  the  early 
kinds,  and  continue  your  supply  until  the  flat  Dutch,  Bergen, 
etc.,  mature,  whether  at  the  North  or  South. 

South  of  latitude  40°  north,  cabbages  of  the  earlier  or  later 
kinds,  for  spring  and  summer  use,  may  be  set  out  in  the  fall  as 
soon  as  the  plants  attain  sufficient  size,  and  where  this  is  done, 
if  it  seem  necessary,  they  should  be  set  qn  one  side  of  a  small 
ridge  or  furrow,  running  the  rows  in  such  a  direction  that  the 
ridge  of  earth  will  afford  some  protection  to  the  plants  from 
prevailing  winter  winds  ;  strew  over  them  a  very  thin  covering 
of  litter  or  evergreen  brush,  and  give  prompt  attention  to  the 
culture  of  the  crop  at  the  first  opening  of  spring. 

In  certain  localities  this  process  may  be  found  desirable,  but 
in  general  it  is  best  to  set  out  plants  at  such  time  as  that  they 
will  start  immediately  and  grow  right  on  to  their  maturity. 

CABBAGE  (Late,  or  Winter). 

BERGEN.     FLAT  DUTCH.     DRUM-HEAD.     RED  (OR   PURPLE).     SA- 
YOY,  ETC.,  ETC. 

BRIEF    DIRECTIONS. 

Set  the  plants  twenty  inches  apart,  in  rows  two  feet  or  more 
wide,  in  strong  rich  soil.  Hoe  or  dig  among  them  till  the 
leaves  touch. 

Time :  sow  in  May.  Set  out  in  July  in  New  York  and  the 
North  generally,  and  later  as  you  proceed  south.  See  also  di- 
rections given  above  under  early  cabbages.  The  Bergen,  flat 
Dutch,  drum-head,  or  any  late  cabbage,  if  sown  and  set  out 
late,  and  grown  rapidly  by  the  aid  of  rich  soil  and  thorough 
culture,  will  prove  equal  in  quality  to  the  earlier  kinds. 

If  the  red  or  purple  cabbage  is  desired,  it  should  be  sown  and 
set  out  a  little  earlier  than  the  Bergen,  etc.,  but  at  the  same 
distances.  It  is  valued,  chiefly  on  account  of  its  color  and 
thick  fleshy  texture,  for  pickling  and  cole-slaw.  Unless  very 
good  stock  is  obtained  it  is  liable  to  yield  only  small  and  com- 
paratively worthless  heads,  or  to  fail  to  head  at  all. 


128  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

The  Savoy  is  a  curled  cabbage,  liable,  as  the  former,  to  fail 
in  heading  if  the  stock  be  not  good,  and  generally  yielding  a 
much  less  weight  of  crop  than  the  other  winter  varieties,  but, 
on  account  of  its  hardiness  and  marrowy  excellence  after  being 
well  frozen,  it  is  worthy  of  more  attention  than  it  receives.  It 
should  be  treated  precisely  as  the  red  in  respect  to  times  of 
sowing,  transplanting,  and  distances.  Its  form  may  be  either 
globular  or  heart-shaped. 

North  of  latitud^  40°,  late  cabbages  may  be  sown  in  all 
May,  and  set  out  in  July  and  the  first  half  of  August.  In 
more  southern  latitudes  they  should  be  sown  and  set  out  at 
later  periods,  but  so'  as  to  afford  them  from  twelve  to  eighteen 
weeks  from  the  time  of  setting  out  to  perfect  their  heads, 
which,  with  good  culture,  will  be  found  sufficient,  unless  the 
stock  be  inferior. 

The  ground  for  cabbages  should  be  rich,  and,  if  naturally  a 
rather  moist  and  strong  loam,  the  addition  of  sufficient  manure 
will  render  ft  perfectly  suitable  for  them.  They  will  grow, 
however,  in  any  deep  rich  soil. 

Within  three  or  four  days  after  the  plants  are  set  out  they 
should  be  carefully  hoed,  and  every  morning,  until  they  attain 
strength,  the  cut  worm  should  be  sought  and  destroyed.  Its 
hiding  places  may  be  known  by  the  fresh-cut  leaves  or  plants 
sticking  out  from  its  retreat ;  stir  the  earth  a  little  just  below 
the  surface,  near  the  plant,  and  you  will  find  the  marauder. 
Crush  him.  See  also  page  108. 

Throughout  the  period  of  their  growth  keep  the  ground 
clean  and  loose,  either  with  the  spade  and  hoe  or  the  plow  and 
corn-harrow,  and  if,  after  each  hoeing,  a  little  poudrette  or  ash- 
compost  is  applied,  it  will  materially  aid  the  growth  and  im- 
prove the  quality  of  the  crop. 

As  a  farm  crop  or  for  feed,  the  larger  late  varieties  of  cab- 
bage may  be  planted  at  a  distance  of  thirty  inches  each  way, 
the  ground  being  previously  well  prepared  with  the  plow  and 
harrow,  and  lightly  cross-furrowed  with  the  skeleton  plow,  the 
plant  being  set  at  the  crossing.  See  Analysis  and  Value,  p.  500. 

Cabbages  are  liable  to  a  disease  called  anbury  or  club-root, 
in  which  large  swellings  form  upon  the  roots.  These  are  sup- 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  129 

posed  to  proceed  from  the  wound  of  certain  weevils  depositing 
their  eggs,  as  the  gall  is  formed  upon  the  oak,  but  I  suppose 
the  insect  seeks  only  unhealthy  or  checked  plants,  diseased, 
morbid  juices  being  probably  agreeable  to  it.  I  have  found  it 
in  the  portion  of  a  patch  reached  by  the  roots  of  neighboring 
trees ;  and  in  a  seed-row  sown  down  a  slope,  the  plants  on  the 
lower  or  wet  part  were  almost  all  clubbed,  and  the  others  free. 
For  insects  infesting  the  cabbage,  see  pages  99  and  104. 

It  is  often  found  difficult  in  northern  latitudes  to  preserve 
cabbages  through  the  winter  without  loss  by  rotting,  or,  if  this 
be  avoided  by  hanging  them  up  singly,  they  are  apt  to  become 
tough  and  almost  tasteless  from  drying  or  self-exhaustion. 

The  best  known  mode  of  wintering  them  is  to  pull  them  up 
by  the  roots  immediately  on  the  appearance  of  hard  frosts,  and, 
having  made  a  deep  clean  furrow  upon  a  gentle  slope,  begin  at 
the  upper  end  of  it,  and  place  the  cabbages,  with  the  heads 
downward,  not  quite  perpendicularly,  but  sloping,  so  as  effect- 
ually to  discharge  or  shed  water  from  the  heads.  Having 
thus  arranged  your  heads,  with  the  roots  uppermost,  through- 
out the  length  of  your  furrow,  proceed  either  with  the  plow  or 
spade  to  cover  them  with  earth,  forming  a  ridge  over  them  a 
few  inches  thick ;  still  farther  to  secure  them  against  water, 
make  the  crown  of  the  ridge  as  solid  as  possible  by  beating  or 
treading  along  it,  and  finish  it  up  sharply.  Whatever  may  be 
needed  for  winter  use  can  be  broken  out,  beginning  at  the  low- 
er end,  while  those  which  remain  will  come  out  in  the  spring, 
even  as  late  as  May,  as  fresh  and  almost  as  sound  as  when 
put  in. 

The  red  cabbage  and  the  Savoy,  being  hardier,  do  not  require 
this  covering,  but  may  be  "  heeled  in"  at  the  approach  of  win- 
ter by  setting  the  roots  in  an  opened  furrow  or  trench,  and 
placing  the  heads  close  together,  but  above  the  ground,  and 
carefully  settling  the  earth  around  the  necks ;  cover  them 
lightly  with  straw  or  evergreen  brush,  and  cut  them  out  as  re- 
quired for  use. 

Merely  for  winter  cooking,  the  other  varieties  may  be  kept 
in  the  same  manner ;  but  if  you  desire  them  for  spring  use  the 
former  mode  is  preferable.  The  "  sauer-kraut,"  of  which  Ger- 

F2 


130  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

mans  are  so  fond,  is  made  by  halving  fine  solid  cabbage-heads 
lengthwise,  cutting  out  the  stem,  and  shredding  them  as  for 
"  cole-slaw,"  but  perhaps  still  finer.  This  is  usually  done  by 
means  of  a  gang  of  from  three  to  six  knives  arranged  obliquely 
across  a  wooden  frame,  the  best  and  freest  cutters  being  grooved 
lengthwise  like  scythe-blades.  Within  this  frame  a  small 
open  box  for  the  half  cabbage-head  runs,  the  operator  pressing 
the  cabbage  upon  the  knives  as  he  drives  the  box.  The  shred- 
ded cabbage  is  then  packed  as  closely  as  possible,  by  the  aid  of 
a  wooden  "  pounder,"  into  a  keg  or  barrel,  with  a  moderate  salt- 
ing, and  spicing  with  caraway  or  other  aromatic  seeds,  &c. 
When  finished,  a  cloth  is  laid  over  it,  and  the  head  or  other 
cover  laid  upon  it,  with  a  weight,  until  it  has  fermented  and 
all  impurities  are  cleared  off  It  is  then  ready  for  use,  and 
may  be  headed  up  for  winter,  keeping  it  carefully  covered  with 
its  brine,  as  in  preserving  pickles  or  butter,  &c. 

CARDOON. 

French,  Cardon. — German,  Kardoner. — Spanish,  Cardon. 

If  raised  at  all,  sow  in  a  single  %w  where  they  may  stand  to 
mature,  having  plenty  of  room,  at  least  two  feet  on  each  side, 
and  when  well  up,  thin  the  plants  to  fifteen  inches  apart. 

Time  :  March  or  April. 

The  cardoon  resembles  the  artichoke  (see  p.  114),  but  the 
heads  are  not  used,  the  scales  being  fleshless  and  bitter.  When 
the  plants  are  full  grown,  before  the  flower-stem  starts,  the 
leaves,  being  gathered  upright  and  bound  together,  are  earthed 
up,  like  celery,  to  blanch,  and  when  this  is  effected,  the  leaf- 
stems  are  used  by  those  who  fancy  them  in  stews,  &c. 

CARROT. 

French,  Carrotte. ^-German,  Mo hre. — Spanish,  Zanahoria. 

EARLY   HORN.      LONG   ORANGE.      ALTRINGHAM.      LONG   PUR- 
PLE, OR   BLOOD.      LONG   WHITE,  &C. 

BRIEF    DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  in  shallow  drills  fifteen  inches  apart ;  cover  lightly,  and 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


131 


if  dry  give  water.     Thin  the  plants  to  three  or  four  inches 
distance,  and  keep  clear  of  weeds. 

Time :  for  winter  use  in  families,  the  first  half  of  June  is 
the  best  time  to  sow  carrots  in  New  York  and  the  North  gen- 
erally, and  still  later  in  the  South. 


FORMS   OF   CARROTS. 
Fig.  16. 


a.  Inferior  early  Carrot. 

b.  Good  early  Carrot. 

c.  Inferior  long  Carrot. 

d.  Better  long  Carrot. 


e.  Best  long  Carrot. 

/.  White  long  field  Carrot,  of  poor  quality, 
but  easily  gathered. 


The  two  first  named  above  are  the  only  kinds  desirable  for 
garden  culture.     The  early  horn  is  a  short  root,  calculated  for 


132  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

the  very  earliest  summer  use.  It  should  be  sown  at  the  first 
opening  of  the  spring,  in  rows  half  an  inch  deep,  about  one 
foot  apart,  and,  if  the  weather  prove  dry,  water  lightly  until  the 
plants  come  up.  Hoe  and  keep  clean,  thinning  to  two  or  three 
inches,  and  drawing  out  for  use  as  fast  as  they  swell. 

The  long  orange,  when  of  a  very  dark  orange  color  (see  Col- 
or, p.  71),  is  the  best  of  all  carrots,  and  though  not  perhaps 
always  yielding  so  heavy  crops  as  some  of  the  coarser  varieties, 
it  may  fairly  be  doubted  if  its  superior  quality  does  not  render 
it,  upon  the  whole,  more  desirable  than  those  varieties,  even  for 
farm  culture. 

It  may  be  sown  about  the  last  of  May  or  in  the  first  half  of 
June,  in  the  same  manner  as  the  former,  the  yourig  plants  be- 
ing thinned  to  four  inches  apart. 

Among  market-gardeners  around  New  York  and  south  of  it, 
carrots  are  also  sown  later  and  wintered  out,  being  lightly  cov- 
ered with  straw,  or  salt  hay,  or  evergreens.  In  this  state  they 
remain  uninjured  through  the  winter,  and,  starting  to  grow 
early,  afford  carrots  that  can  be  bunched  in  May,  and  really  fur- 
nish fresher-flavored  roots  than  those  which  have  been  stored. 

A  light,  warm,  and  not  very  rich  soil  is  suitable  for  carrots, 
but  good  crops  may  be  raised  upon  any  soil  deepened  by  good 
culture  and  moderately  manured. 

In  the  vicinity  of  large  cities  land  is  sometimes  made  too 
rich  for  this  crop,  and  it  fails  entirely. 

If  raised  as  a  farm  crop,  carrots  should  be  sown  in  rows  two 
feet  wide,. being  thinned  to  four  inches  apart  in  the  row,  and 
kept  free  from  weeds.  Plow  often  and  deeply  until  they  are 
about  half  grown,  then  run  the  skeleton  plow  once  beam-deep 
between  the  rows ;  follow  it  with  the  light  corn-harrow,  and 
the  culture  of  your  crop  is  completed. 

Carrot-seed  imported  from  Europe  is  generally  very  trouble- 
some to  sow,  unless  thoroughly  rubbed  with  earth,  or  ashes,  or 
plaster.  It  is  very  woolly,  and  can  scarcely  be  separated. 
American  seed,  if  properly  managed,  is  clean  and  free  as  other 
ordinary  seeds.  See  Analysis  and  Value  of  Carrots,  p.  500. 

In  addition  to  the  common  uses  of  carrots,  they,  make  excel- 
lent "  pumpkin  pies."  For  this  purpose  they  should  be  passed 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  133 

through  a  fine  grater,  either  in  their  raw  state  or  stewed,  and 
then  be  used  precisely  as  veritable  pumpkin. 

CAULIFLOWER. 

French,  Chou-fleur. — German,  Blumenkokl. — Spanish,  Coliflor. 

EARLY,  LATE,  ETC. 

BRIEF    DIRECTIONS. 

Set  the  plants  twenty  inches  apart,  in  rows  two  feet  wide, 
in  very  rich  soil,  and  hoe  often. 

Time  :  for  spring  and  summer  heading,  sow  in  September ; 
pot  and  protect  the  plants  carefully  through  winter,  and  set 
out  in  April  or  May  at  the  North ;.  but  at  the  South  sow  a 
month  or  more  later,  and  either  pot  and  protect  them  thus,  or 
set  out  the  plants,  when  four  or  six  inches  high,  where  they 
are  to  stand  through  winter,  and  protect  them  if  necessary. 

For  the  fall  crop  at  New  York  and  the  North  generally,  sow 
in  the  first  half  of  May,  and  set  out  last  of  June  or  first  week 
of  July.  Proceeding  southward,  sow  and  transplant  still  later, 
allowing  the  crop  full  sixteen  weeks  from  the  setting  out,  with 
good  culture,  to  mature  for  use  before  winter. 

The  cauliflower,  like  the  brocoli,  is  of  the  cabbage  tribe, 
having  long,  narrowish  leaves,  which  grow  upon  the  stem 
rather  in  the  fashion  of  a  tuft,  somewhat  as  the  palm-tree 
bears  its  leaves ;  and,  instead  of  having  a  head  like  the  cab- 
bage, formed  of  the  young  leaves  compacted  by  the  closing  of 
those  above  and  the  growth  of  those  within,  it  is  composed  of 
the  incipient  blossom-head,  which,  appearing  at  first  as  a  mere 
button  in  the  centre  of  the  crown  of  leaves,  gradually  enlarges 
to  a  diameter  of  from  six  to  twelve  inches  or  more.  When  in 
perfection  it  has  the  appearance  of  a  compact  curd-white 
mass  of  an  irregular  convex  form,  and  is  the  most  choice  and 
delicate  of  garden  vegetables. 

The  early  cauliflower  is  on  many  accounts  preferable  to  the 
other  varieties,  and  perhaps  is  the  only  one  that  will  prove  to 
be  really  worth  raising.  Between  the  early  and  late  varieties 
of  cabbages,  peas,  etc.,  their  time  of  maturing  affords  a  pretty 


134  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

clear  distinction ;  but  it  is  scarcely  so  with  cauliflower,  which 
is  rather  finer  and  coarser,  good  and  inferior,  and  by  the  in- 
itiated the  terms  early  and  late  are  used  in  reference  to  the 
period  of  the  expected  crop,  as  summer  or  fall,  rather  than  to 
designate  different  varieties.  Disappointments  would  be  still 
more  frequent  to  the  cultivator  if  the  seed  for  both  were  not 
often  furnished  from  the  same  stock  by  the  seedsman. 

If  desired  for  summer  use  at  the  North,  the  seed  should  be 
sown  about  the  middle  of  September,  and  the  plants,  when 
about  three  inches  high,  transplanted  into  quart  garden-pots, 
three  plants  in  a  pot,  and  placed  i»a  pit  for  wintering.  They 
should  be  kept  well  covered  in  the  severest  weather,  but  when 
a  moderate  temperature  prevails  light  and  air  should  be  given. 

In  the  latter  half  of  April  the  plants  may  be  set  out  in  very 
rich,  strong  soil,  at  the  distance  of  twenty  inches  by  two  feet, 
or  two  feet  each  way.  Let  them  be  often  and  deeply  hoed, 
and  dig  or  plow  deeply  between  them  at  least  once  before  they 
attain  their  growth ;  use  ash  compost  or  liquid  manure  about 
them  from  time  to  time,  and  if  the  season  is  favorable  you  may 
cut  fine  heads  for  summer  use ;  if,  however,  the  season  prove 
hot  and  dry,  the  heads  will  probably  be  small  and  of  only  me- 
dium quality,,  or  you  may  be  entirely  disappointed  of  a  crop. 

In  milder  latitudes  they  will  bear  the  winter  with  little  or 
no,£overing,  and  may  be  set  out  in  late  fall. 

The  fall  crop  is  far  more  certain,  and  more  easily  raised. 

For  this,  sow  the  seed  in  the  spring,  at  the  times  above  di- 
rected; transplant  when  two  inches  high  into  a  second  bed, 
two  or  three  inches  apart.  In  about  six  or  seven  weeks  from 
the  sowing,  set  them  out  at  the  distance  named  for  the  summer 
crop,  treat  them  as  directed  for  the  same,  and,  unless  the  seed 
sown  was  of  inferior  stock,  you  may  ordinarily  calculate  on  a 
full  and  valuable  crop. 

If,  on  the  approach  of  winter,  any  part  of  them  have  not  per- 
fected their  heads,  let  them  be  taken  up  carefully,  with  plenty 
of  earth  to  them,  and  heeled  in  closely,  either  under  the  bench 
of  a  green-house  or  in  a  warm  dirt  cellar,  and  they  will  con- 
tinue to  head  almost  as  well  as  in  the  open  ground. 

The  proper  time  for  cutting  cauliflower  is  when  the  head  has 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  135 

attained  its  largest  diameter,  but  before  it  gives  any  indica- 
tions of  becoming  loose  or  open. 

For  the  benefit  of  the  cook  and  the  consumer,  I  remark  that 
it  should  never  be  boiled  with  other  vegetables  or  with  meat, 
but  in  fair  water,  or  milk  and  water,  with  a  little  salt,  being 
careful  not  to  overcook  it — say  boiling  it  twenty  minutes  or 
less.  A  bag-net,  which  is  useful  in  boiling  all  green  vegeta- 
bles, will  be  found  especially  so  in  cooking  cauliflower.  It 
may  be  eaten  with  drawn  butter  or  gravy,  as  fancy  dictates. 

The  imperfect  heads  of  both  cauliflower  and  brocoli,  or  the 
full  heads  divided  for  the  purpose,  make  handsome  and  pleas- 
ant pickles.  See  page  167. 

It  is  often  difficult  to  obtain  cauliflower  seed  of  good  stock, 
and  upon  this  almost  every  thing  depends ;  but  where  good 
stock  can  be  obtained,  and  the  soil  is  favorable,  there  are  few 
garden  crops  more  profitable. 

CELERY. 

French,  Celeri. — German,  Selkrie. — Spanish,  Apia. 

WHITE   SOLID.      RED    GIANT. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  upon  the  surface  of  very  light,  rich  soil,  and  rake  light- 
ly in.  Keep  watered  and  shaded  from  the  strong  sunshine. 
When  the  plants  are  three  or  four  inches  high,  prepare  trenches 
two  to  four  feet  apart,  a  foot  wide,  and  a  foot  deep ;  dig  into 
the  bottom  plenty  of  rotten  manure,  and  set  the  plants  six  to 
eight  inches  apart,  a  single  row  in  each  trench.  Continue  to 
shade  them  until  started,  and  gradually  earth  them  up  as 
they  grow. 

Time  :  sow  from  March  to  May.  Set  out  from  May  to  July 
in  New  York  and  the  North  generally. 

At  the  South,  sow  in  June  and  July.  Set  out  in  August 
and  September. 

There  are  various  kinds  of  fancy  celery,  and  diversities  of 
opinion  as  to  their  merits,  but  the  continued  general  cultiva- 
tion of  the  white  solid  would  seem  to  prove  that,  on  the  whole, 


136  AMERICAN  HOME   GARDEN. 

it  is  the  best.  The  term  solid  as  applied  to  celery  refers  to 
the  leaf-stem  or  eatable  part,  which,  in  inferior  varieties,  is 
more  or  less  hollow,  or  "  piped."  Celery  should  be  sown  upon 
the  surface  of  fine,  light  soil.  The  seed,  being  raked  in  very 
lightly,  should  be  shaded  for  a  few  days,  and  watered  moder- 
ately each  evening  until  it  comes  up,  if  the  weather  be  dry. 
When  about  two  inches  high,  the  plants  should  be  transplanted 
into  a  second  bed  at  one  or  two  inches  apart.  In  May  and 
later,  prepare  for  their  final  planting  by  digging  trenches  about 
a  foot  wide  and  ten  or  twelve  inches  deep  at  a  distance  of  three 
or  four  feet  apart.  Strew  along  the  bottom  a  thick  layer  of 
thoroughly  rotted  manure,  and  dig  it  in,  mixing  it  well  with 
the  soil  in  the  process.  After  it  has  lain  a  week  or  two,  dig 
it  again,  and  mix  and  pulverize  it.  If  your  plants  are  ready, 
or  you  desire  something  a  little  earlier  than  your  main  crop, 
you  may  begin  to  plant ;  if  not,  then  dig  again  when  your 
plants  are  ready,  and,  having  grouted  the  roots  (see  p.  88), 
set  them  out  at  six  or  eight  inches  apart,  in  a  single  row  along 
the  trench,  and  shade  them  until  they  take  root.  Keep  them 
perfectly  clean,  and  the  earth  loose  around  them,  applying 
liquid  manure  after  each  hoeing  until  they  are  large  enough 
to  earth  up  for  blanching.* 

This  process  should  be  performed  about  every  ten  days  after 
the  plants  in  the  trenches  have  attained  a  height  of  ten  or 
twelve  inches. 

To  do  this  properly,  choose  a  fine  day  for  the  operation,  gath- 
er the  leaves  carefully  up,  place  a  board  on  each  side  of  the 
row,  and  draw  the  earth  against  them ;  then  raise  the  boards 
gradually,  and  carefully  settle  the  earth  to  the  plants. 

At  the  approach  of  winter  take  up  your  celery,  which  should 
now  be  from  eighteen  inches  to  three  feet  high,  remove  any 
waste  leaves,  and  especially  such  as  may  be  decaying  or  touch- 
ed by  frost,  and  pack  it  away  in  earth  or  sand  in  a  cool  cellar 

*  Blanching  is  effected  by  the  exclusion  of  light,  which  seems,  in  gen- 
eral, essential  to  the  development  of  color.  The  law,  however,  is  not  ab- 
solute, for  seed-leaves  are  often  found  in  the  common  field-pumpkin  and 
in  ripe  cucumbers  which  have  grown  nearly  to  their  natural  size  and  of  a 
fine  deep  green  color. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  137 

or  out-house  where  frost  will  not  reach  it,  or  set  it  upright  in 
a  narrrow  bed  out  of  doors,  packing  it  closely,  yet  so  as  to  ad- 
mit the  earth  through  it,  and,  having  ridged  it  over  somewhat 
carefully,  to  prevent  water  settling  into  it,  cover  the  whole 
with  straw  or  mulch  of  any  kind  sufficient  to  prevent  the  frost 
from  closing  it  against  you  during  winter.  Like  all  green  veg- 
etables for  winter  use,  celery  will  keep  better  in  the  open  air 
than  housed,  if  proper  precautions  are  used  for  its  protection 
against  frost. 

It  is  not  uncommon  to  plant  celery  in  very  moist  ground  for 
the  sake  of  a  luxuriant  growth,  but  in  this  there  is  danger  of 
partial  decay  in  wet  seasons,  and  always  loss  of  quality.  Cel- 
ery of  the  finest  flavor,  though  not  of  the  largest  size,  is  raised 
in  light,  dry  soil. 

CELERIAC  is  a  turnip-rooted  variety  of  celery  used  in  soups, 
and  but  of  little  value.  It  is  raised  as  turnip-beets.  See 
page  120. 

CHERVIL. 

French,  Cerfeuil. — German,  Gartenkerbel. — Spanish,  Perifolio. 

Sown  and  treated  as  parsley,  which  see,  page  160.  It  is  an 
aromatic  herb,  sometimes  used  in  soups  and  salads. 

CITRON. 

French,  Citronne. — German,  Citron  Wasser  Melone. — Spanish,  Melon  de 
agua  de  Cidra. 

See  WATERMELON,  page  152. 

GIVES  OR  CHIVES. 

French,  Civette  or  Ciboulette. — German,  Binsenlauch.     Schnidtlauch. — Span- 
ish, Cebollinos. 

Gives  should  be  set  out  in  August  or  September  at  the  North, 
or  November  or  December  at  the  South,  at  about  six  inches 
apart,  and  two  or  three  inches  deep,  either  in  a  single  row,  or 
small  bed,  if  beds  are  preferred,  where  they  can  remain  perma- 
nently ;  or  they  may  be  set  as  edging  to  paths. 

They  are  a  very  small  species  of  onion,  increasing  from  the 
root,  with  leaves  not  thicker  than  straws,  starting  up  very  ear- 
ly in  the  spring,  when  the  young  tops  are  cut  and  eaten. 


138  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

CORN. 
French,  Mais. — German,  Korn. — Spanish,  Maiz. 

1.  CANADA.      2.  SUGAR.      3.  TUSCARORA. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Plant  in  rich,  warm  soil,  in  hills  three  feet  apart,  five  grains 
in  a  hill,  an  inch  deep.  When  well  up,  thin  to  the  three  or 
four  best  plants.  Hoe  often,  and  dress  with  ashes  and  plaster. 

Time :  from  March  to  July,  according  to  latitude,  and  the 
earlier  or  later  period  at  which  the  crop  is  desired  for  use. 

All  the  varieties  of  corn  may  be  raised  in  the  garden  for 
roasting  ears  or  green  corn.  I  have  placed  the  kinds  named 
above  in  the  usual  order  of  their  ripening,  though  this  varies 
with  stock,  but  remark  that  the  Canada,  as  is  common  with 
extra  early  vegetables,  is  small.  The  sugar,  with  high  manur- 
ing, may  be  raised  of  fair  size,  and  is  of  superior  sweetness. 
It  may  also  be  kept  for  winter  cooking,  either  by  being  hung 
up  in  bunches  by  the  tips  of  the  husks,  or  husked  and  shelled 
while  soft,  and  gradually  dried  in  an  oven  at  a  moderate  heat. 

The  Tuscarora  has  no  flint,  being  what  is  called  a  flour  corn. 
It  yields  a  fine  large  ear  with  a  red  cob,  which  slightly  discol- 
ors it  in  boiling.  Perhaps  the  first  two  may  be  esteemed  the 
very  best  for  family  use,  or  we  may  add  the  common  eight- 
rowed  white. 

,  Corn  ^hould  be  planted  in  very  rich  soil  at  various  times 
along  through  the  season,  in  hills  three  feet  apart  each  way, 
carefully  thinning  it  at  the  first  hoeing  to  the  three  or  four 
strongest  plants.  Use  ash  compost  from  time  to  time  upon 
them,  and  gradually  but  moderately  hill  up. 

In  its  farm  culture  corn  should  be  planted  at  about  the  dis- 
tances named,  and  in  the  course  of  its  early  growth  should  be 
plowed  at  least  three  times  each  way,  giving  it  two  careful 
hoeings,  each  followed  with  a  top-dressing  of  plaster  or  ash 
compost,  and  a  final  "  hilling"  after  the  third  plowing. 

For  analysis  and  value,  see  page  500. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  139 

CORN  SALAD  OR  FETTICUS. 

French,  Mdche. — German,  Ackersalat. — Spanish,  Mdche. 

Sown  and  treated  precisely  as  spinach,  except  that  thinning 
the  plants  is  not  essential  (see  SPINACH,  page  179). 

It  is  a  soft,  mild  salad  plant,  of  no  great  account,  but  used 
with  or  instead  of  other  salads  in  the  early  spring,  when  al- 
most any  thing  green  finds  a  welcome.  "  Lamb's  lettuce"  is 
its  most  appropriate  synonym. 

CUCUMBER. 

French,  Concombre. — German,  Gurke. — Spanish,  Pepino.      Cohambro. 
1.    EARLY     CLUSTER.        2.    SHORT     GREEN.        3.    LONG    GREEN 

(white   spined).     4.   EARLY    FRAME.      5.   EXTRA    LONG. 

6.    WHITE   TURKEY. 

BRIEF    DIRECTIONS. 

Plant  in  very  rich,  warm  soil,  in  hills  four  to  six  feet  apart, 
six  or  eight  seeds  in  a  hill,  an  inch  deep..  When  well  up,  thin 
to  the  three  best  plants.  Hoe  often  till  the  vines  touch. 

Time :  from  February  to  August,  according  to  latitude  and 
the  object  for  which  the  crop  is  raised.  The  main  crop  every 
where  may  be  planted  at  the  time  of  principal  corn-planting,  or 
a  little  later.  The  pickle  crop  in  June  and  July  at  the  North  ; 
at  the  South,  in  August  or  September. 

The  varieties  of  cucumber,  like  those  of  cabbage,  are  so  nu- 
merous, and  often  so  similar,  that  none  but  a  professional  gar- 
dener or  a  curious  amateur  would  be  able  to  distinguish  them 
from  one  another,  or  even  think  it  worth  while  to  keep  the  rec- 
ord of  their  names. 

The  first  three  given  above  may  be  considered  as  including 
the  useful  varieties,  and  the  three  last  as  chiefly  fanciful. 

The  early  cluster  is  a  small,  short,  dumpy  variety,  with 
which  most  persons  are  familiar,  from  its  abundance  in  our 
markets  in  the  fall.  It  is  of  pleasant  flavor,  but  seedy,  and  is 
valuable  chiefly  on  account  of  its  earliness,  and,  to  those  who 
raise  pickles  for  sale,  from  its  great  capacity  for  bearing. 

The  short  green  is  a  common  table  cucumber,  also  sometimes 


140  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

raised  for  pickles,  rather  longer  than  the  cluster,  and  of  about 
the  same  quality,  but  not  so  profuse  a  bearer. 

The  white- spined  long  green  supplies  a  desideratum  among 
cultivators,  being  of  very  handsome  form  and  deep  green  col- 
or, free  from  bitterness,  and  an  abundant  bearer.  It  is  some- 
times called  simply  the  white-spined  cucumber,  but  its  varie- 
ties are  increasing,  and  are  easily  distinguishable.  Its  quality 
can  not  be  fairly  judged  of  by  those  purchased  in  our  markets, 
as  it  may  be  cut  too  late  or  kept  for  a  week  without  materially 
changing  its  color. 

The  early  frame  is  of  no  particular  variety,  but  the  name 
covers  a  number  of  slightly  differing  sub-varieties,  which  are 
used  for  planting  in  frames  in  winter  for  the  production  of  cu- 
cumbers at  unseasonable  times. 

The  extra  long  is,  on  various  accounts,  not  worth  cultivation. 
Very  long  cucumbers  are  more  solid  in  texture  than  is  desira- 
ble, and  the  stem  end  is  generally  bitter  for  two  or  three  inches. 
If  the  peeling  be  performed  from  that  end,  the  bitterness  is 
more  or  less  communicated  to  the  whole,  and  hence  probably 
the  old  rule,  always  to  peel  a  cucumber  from  the  blossom  end. 
They  are  also,  in  general,  poor  bearers  ;  but  their  fine  appear- 
ance, either  for  pickles  or  the  table,  has  given  them  considera- 
ble favor  in  certain  quarters. 

The  "  white  Turkey"  is  a  curious  but  valueless  variety. 

Small  cucumbers  of  any  kind,  when  pickled,  are  properly 
called  "  gherkins,"  but  this  name  has  been  also  given  to  a  very 
small,  seedy,  worthless,  burr-like  West  Indian  cucumber,  of 
which  poor  pickles  are  sometimes  made. 

Cucumbers  should  be  planted  in  the  richest  soil,  in  hills  from 
four  to  six  feet  apart,  six  or  eight  seeds  in  a  hill,  at  about  an 
inch  in  depth,  and  at  the  first  or  second  hoeing  only  the  three 
strongest  and  healthiest  plants  should  be  left.  Frequent  and 
deep  hoeings,  continued  until  prevented  by  the  interlocking 
vines,  and  gradual  hilling  up  of  the  plants  to  the  seed-leaves, 
with  the  application  of  ash  compost  to  the  hills  from  time  to 
time  after  hoeing,  will  suffice  in  ordinary  seasons  to  secure  a 
satisfactory  crop.  If  planted  in  large  patches,  the  ground,  hav- 
ing been  prepared  by  thorough  manuring  and  repeated  plow- 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  141 

ings,  should  be  furrowed  both  ways  at  four  feet  distance,  the 
seeds  being  dropped  at  the  crossing  and  carefully  covered. 
They  should  be  well  plowed  both  ways  at  least  twice  during 
their  growth,  and  treated  in  other  respects  as  above  directed 
for  their  garden  culture. 

DOCK,  COMMON  YELLOW. 

French,  Rumex. — German,  Ampferkraut. — Spanish,  Bardana. 

A  row  or  two  of  the  common  lance-leaved  or  yellow  dock, 
sown  on  very  rich  soil,  at  the  same  time  as  parsley  or  par- 
snep,  will  yield  early  greens  in  abundance  for  those  who  esteem 
them. 

When  rapidly  grown,  they  are  as  tender  and  pleasant  as  any 
others,  and  probably  still  more  decidedly  healthful  for  spring 
use.  When  the  season  for  their  use  as  greens  is  past,  the  root 
may  be  dried  for  the  purposes  of  domestic  medicine,  or  for  sale 
to  the  manufacturers  of  "  extract  of  sarsaparilla,"  into  which  it 
is  said  to  enter  largely. 

The  English  Patience  dock,  a  native  of  Italy,  known  among 
the  French  as  Rhubarbe  des  Moines,  is  in  no  respect  materially 
better  than  the  above. 

EGG-PLANT. 

French,  Mebngene. — German,  Tottapfel. — Spanish,  Berenjena. 

1.   LARGE   PURPLE.      2.    WHITE. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Set  out  in  a  very  rich,  warm  soil,  in  hills  three  feet  by  two 
apart,  two  or  three  plants  in  a  hill.  Hoe  often,  and  hill  up 
gradually  until  they  blossom. 

Time :  sow  in  hot.  bed  six  or  eight  weeks  before  corn-plant- 
ing time.  In  about  four  weeks  thin  them  carefully,  or  trans- 
plant the  whole  into  a  second  bed  or  into  pots  (see  p.  87). 
Set  them  out  just  before  the  time  for  first  corn-hoeing. 

If  practicable,  let  the  whole  of  your  plants  be  transplanted 
into  a  second  bed  at  two  inches  apart,  or  into  small  pots,  three 
plants  in  a  pot.  At  the  proper  time  turn  them  carefully  out 


142  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

of  the  pots,  without  breaking  the  ball  of  earth,  or,  if  not  potted, 
transplant  into  hills  three  feet  by  two,  in  very  rich,  warm  soil. 
Hoe  them  often,  and  apply  liquid  manure  from  time  to  time. 

When  the  fruit  seems  to  have  attained  about  three  fourths 
of  its  size,  and  before  it  begins  to  lose  its  deep  purple  color,  it 
is  ready  for  use. 

The  purple  egg-plant  is  a  rich  and  valuable  esculent,  often 
growing  to  the  size  of  an  ordinary  muskmelon,  and  when  thinly 
sliced  and  well  cooked  by  frying  in  good  butter,  or  lard,  in 
which  it  cooks  more  readily,  deserves  even  a  better  name  than 
that  of  "  beefsteak  plant."  It  is  also  called  by  some  "  Guinea 
squash."  The  white  is  merely  ornamental,  or,  rather,  simply 
curious. 

ENDIVE. 

French,  Chicoree. — German,  Endivie. — Spanish,  Chicoria. 

GREEN  CURLED,  &C. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Time  :  sow  from  February  to  April  for  summer  use,  and  from 
June  to  August  for  fell  and  winter,  and  set  out  and  cultivate 
as  lettuce.  See  p.  148. 

At  the  South  it  may  be  sown  and  set  out  still  later. 

The  endive  is  a  handsomely  curled  plant,  resembling  the  Si- 
lesian  lettuce  in  its  habit,  but  of  a  strong  and  bitter  flavor.  It 
is  chiefly  used  as  a  fall  and  winter  salad,  but  also  for  garnish- 
ing, and  sometimes  in  stews. 

It  is  rendered  milder  by  blanching,  which  is  effected  by  gath- 
ering the  whole  of  the  leaves  upright,  and  tying  them  closely 
together  near  the  point,  two  or  three  weeks  before  it  is  cut  for 
use,  or  by  placing  over  the  heads  earthen  pans  or  saucers,  which 
are  made  by  the  potters  for  this  purpose,  like  dish-covers,  with 
a  small  knob  upon  them.  The  broad-leaved  or  Batavian  en- 
dive is  a  plainer-leaved  and  coarser  variety  than  the  curled. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  143 

GARLIC. 

French,  Ail. — German,  Knoblauch. — Spanish,  Ajo. 

Garlic  sets  should  be  planted  in  the  fall  or  spring,  at  the 
same  time  and  in  the  same  manner  as  onion  sets,  at  a  depth  of 
two  or  three  inches.  Keep  them  clean  until  the  changing 
color  of  the  tops  shows  the  roots  are  ripening,  then  take  them 
up  and  dry  them  for  use.  The  sets  are  obtained  by  dividing 
the  clustered  roots  which  are  sold  in  our  stores  and  markets. 

Garlic  is  a  bulb  of  the  onion  tribe,  very  strong,  and  to  many 
persons  very  offensive,  but  often  used  medicinally  and  in  French 
cookery. 

Rocambole,  or  Spanish  garlic,  is  a  milder  variety,  cultivated 
in  the  same  manner  and  for  the  same  uses. 

GREENS. 

Greens  are  either  young  plants  raised  in  the  fall,  and  win- 
tered expressly  for  early  cutting,  as  spinach,  German  kale,  &c., 
or  they  are  similar  young  plants  raised  in  the  spring  for  the 
same  purpose,  as  spinach,  cabbage,  mustard,  &c.,  or  they  are  the 
first  young  spring  growth  of  roots  or  stems  wintered  for  the 
purpose  of  producing  them,  as  kale,  cabbage,  dock,  &c.  Though 
very  unsubstantial,  they  are  eagerly  sought  in  the  early  spring. 
What  they  lack  as  food  they  perhaps  make  up  as  physic,  many 
of  them  being,  in  medical  parlance,  "  laxative  and  detergent." 
A  little  saleratus  added  to  the  water  in  boiling  them  renders 
them  in  general  safer  and  better  for  use.  It  should  not  be 
omitted,  especially  in  cooking  poke- weed  and  others  of  doubt- 
ful reputation. 

Most  of  them  will  be  found  in  their  alphabetical  order,  but, 
for  convenient  reference,  a  list  is  given  below  from  which  selec- 
tions may  be  made. 

1.  BEETS.     The  part  used  is  the  young  plant  entire,  pulled 
and  washed ;  or  the  leaves  may  be  pulled  from  older  plants. 

2.  BRUSSELS  SPROUTS.     The  young  fall  and  spring  growth. 

3.  CABBAGES.     Young  or  non-heading  plants  of  the  early 
kinds  called  "  coleworts"  or  "  collards." 

4.  DOCK.     The  young  spring  growth. 


144  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

5.  HORSERADISH.     The  young  leaves. 

6.  KALE,  or  BORECOLE.     The  fall  and  spring  growth. 

7.  KALE,  GERMAN.     The  young  fall-sown  plants  cut  in 
spring. 

8.  MUSTARD.     The  young  plants  raised  and  cut  in  spring. 

9.  POKE-WEED.     The  young  shoots  in  spring,  before  any 
redness  appears  on  them ;   though  some  use  them  until  the 
leaves  become  large. 

10.  PURSLANE.     The  young  plants  cut  in  spring  and  sum- 
mer. 

11.  RADISHES.     The  young  plants,  or  tops,  cut  in  spring. 

12.  RAPE,  or  COLEWORT.     The  young  plants  cut  in  spring. 

13.  SALSAFY.     The  young  growth  in  spring,  cut  when  four 
or  five  inches  high. 

14.  SPINACH.    The  young  plants  of  fall  or  spring  growth,  cut. 

15.  TURNIP-TOPS.      The  young   spring  growth  from  last 
year's  roots. 

HERBS. 

The  following  list  of  herbs  comprises  some  that  are  not  very 
valuable,  but  is  given  in  order  that  selections  may  be  readily 
made.  Some  are  omitted  because  universally  known,  or  found 
wild,  or  worthless.  Those  marked  with  a  *  are  inserted,  with 
directions  for  their  culture,  in  their  alphabetical  order  in  this 
work. 

1.  BURNET.     French,  Petite  Pimpernelle  •  German,  Pirn- 
pernelle  ;  Spanish,  Pimpernelan. 

An  aromatic  herb,  of  pretty  foliage,  occasionally  used  in  sal- 
ads. Formerly  it  was  infused  in  drinks  which  some  good- 
wives  mingled  for  their  husbands.  It  may  be  sown  and  treat- 
ed as  parsley.  Page  160. 

2.  CARAWAY.     French,  Carvi;  German,  Kummd;  Span- 
ish, Alcaravea. 

3.  CORIANDER.    French,  Coriandre;  German,  Koriander  / 
Spanish,  Celantro. 

These  are  herbs  bearing  aromatic  seeds,  which  are  used  in 
sweet-cake,  etc.  The  plant  of  coriander  has  an  offensive  smell. 
They  may  be  sown  and  treated  as  summer  savory.  Page  181. 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN.  145 

4.  DILL.      French,   L'Anetli;    German,  Dill;    Spanish, 
Eneldo. 

5.  FENNEL.    French,  L'AnetJidoux;  German,  Dill  Kraut; 
Spanish,  Ninojo. 

Dill  and  fennel  are  aromatic  herbs  which  are  sometimes 
used  in  fish  sauces,  etc.,  and  their  seeds  substituted  for  anise- 
seed  in  domestic  medicine. 

6.  LAVENDER.    French,  Lavande;  German,  Spiklavandel  ; 
Spanish,  Espliego. 

A  small  woody  plant,  bearing  short  spike  flowers  of  fine  fra- 
grance, raised  from  seeds  or  cuttings.  See  page  469. 

7.  LEMON  BALM.     French,  Melisse ;   German,   Melisse ; 
Spanish,  Melissa. 

Used  for  making  tea,  which  is  given  in  colds,  etc.,  as  a  su- 
dorific. It  is  raised  as  summer  savory.  Page  181. 

8.  MARIGOLD  (Pot,  or  Soup).     French,  Souci  de  Jardin. 
Marigold;  German,  Ringelblume ;  Spanish,  Clumeno. 

The  flower-leaves  of  pot  marigold,  like  those  of  saflron,  are 
gathered  and  dried  for  use  in  soups,  and  in  domestic  medicine, 
particularly  for  tea  in  measles.  Both  may  be  raised  as  sage 
or  summer  savory.  Page  181. 

9.*  PARSLEY.     Page  160. 

10.*  ROQUETTE.     See  Pepper-grass.     Page  166. 

11.  ROSEMARY.     French,  Romarin;  German,  Rosmarin  ; 
Spanish,  Bomaro. 

A  fragrant  woody  plant  raised  from  seed,  as  sage,  or  from 
slip  or  common  cuttings.  Page  438.  It  is  used  as  a  domes- 
tic perfume,  and  also  distilled  for  its  essential  oil. 

12.  SAFFRON.     French,  So/ran;  German,  So/ran  ;  Span- 
ish, Azof  ran. 

For  its  uses  and  culture,  see  Marigold,  above. 

13.*  SAGE.  Page  176. 

14.*  SOREL.     Page  178. 

15.*  SUMMER  SAVORY.     Page  181. 

16.*  SWEET  BASIL.     Page  182. 

17.*  SWEET  MARJORAM.     Page  182. 

18.*  THYME.     Page  183. 

G 


146  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

HOP. 

French,  Houblon. — German,  Hopfen. — Spanish,  Hombrecillo. 

The  hop  is  a  wild  perennial  plant,  whose  usefulness  has  in- 
troduced it  into  every  garden.  It  forms  a  pleasant  summer 
shade  when  a  few  strings  or  rods  are  laid  for  it  to  run  upon ; 
or  it  may  be  planted  by  a  tall  single  pole,  up  which  it  will 
run  rapidly,  always  throwing  to  the  surface  its  clustered  stro- 
bil-formed  inflorescence,  which  is  known  to  us  as  hops. 

They  should  be  carefully  gathered  and  dried  before  frost 
touches  them. 

In  household  economy  they  are  used  for  making  yeast, 
"turnpike,"  etc.,  etc.  Scalded  and  applied  in  flannel  as  a 
poultice  or  fomentation,  they  constitute  an  excellent  anodyne, 
and  in  the  form  of  hop-tea  are  one  of  the  best  of  tonics. 

In  making  new  plantings,  choose  the  young  white  runners 
in  preference  to  the  brown  old  growth,  and  small  rather  than 
large  roots,  and  only  from  fertile  plants.  See  page  74. 

The  green  leaves  of  the  peach-tree  are  sometimes  substi- 
tuted for  the  hop  in  making  yeast,  though,  from  their  poison- 
ous character,  it  would  seem  scarcely  safe  to  use  them  for  such 
a  purpose.  The  scaly  ament,  or  "  hop"  of  the  Ptelea  Trifolia- 
ta,  a  wild  tree,  or,  rather,  large  shrub,  sometimes  called  the 
"  hop-tree,"  is  also  used  for  this  purpose  in  the  ordinary  man- 
ner of  hops,  and  by  some  is  thought  to  be  of  superior  strength. 

HORSERADISH. 

French,  Le  Grand  Raifort. — German,  Merrettig. — Spanish,  Rabano. 

Horseradish  is  commonly  raised  either  from  the  crowns  of 
plants  or  from  pieces  of  the  root  an  inch  or  two  long.  These 
should  be  planted  in  rich  and  rather  moist  soil  as  early  as  pos- 
sible in  the  spring,  from  twelve  to  fifteen  inches  deep,  in  rows 
two  feet  wide,  and  from  six  to  ten  inches  apart  in  the  row. 
Keep  them  clean  and  well  hoed,  or  plow  and  hoe  until  they 
are  well  started,  and  they  will  soon  obtain  sucli  possession  of 
the  spot  that  it  will  be  difficult  to  eradicate  them.  When- 
ever the  root  is  large  enough  it  is  fit  for  use.  It  may  also  be 
raised  from  seed,  but  the  mode  above  directed  is  preferable. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  147 


KALE  OR  BORECOLE. 

French,  Chou  Vert. — German,  Grune  Kohl. — Spanish,  Breton  sin  Cabeza. 
GREEN    CURLED.      PURPLE   CURLED. 

Kale,  or  borecole,  if  raised  at  all,  should  be  sown  and  treat- 
ed precisely  as  winter  cabbage. 

It  is  a  species  of  cabbage  that  does  not  head,  but  grows  up 
with  a  considerable  mass  of  leaves,  which  are  very  much  curl- 
ed. It  is  very  hardy,  enduring  the  rigors  of  the  severest  win- 
ter with  a  slight  covering,  and  in  the  spring  its  young  sprouts 
are  used  for  greens.  See  Greens,  page  143. 

It  is  much  used  by  some  northern  nations  as  an  ingredient 
in  a  kind  of  soup,  particularly  the  green  variety. 

It  is  a  rank,  coarse  vegetable,  that  is  utterly  unfit  to  use  un- 
til thorough  freezing  has  destroyed  a  portion  of  its  acrid 
strength,  and  is  only  fit  for  regions  where  no  other  cabbage 
can  be  successfully  raised  or  wintered. 

There  is-  a  dwarf  and  less  curled  variety,  largely  used  as 
greens  among  the  German  residents  of  our  cities,  and  known 
as  German  Kale.  It  is  sown  thickly,  in  September,  in  drills  a 
foot  apart,  and,  being  kept  clean  through  the  fall,  with  a  very 
slight  covering  of  litter  or  evergreen  brush,  and  sometimes 
without  any  covering,  stands  through  the  winter,  and  in  the 
spring,  after  it  has  grown  a  few  inches,  the  whole  plant  is  cut 
up  for  use. 

KOHL  RABI,  OR  TURNIP  CABBAGE. 

French,  Chou  Navet.^- German,  Kohl  Rabi.     Uber  Erde  Kohl  Rabi. — Span- 
ish, ColdeRabi. 

This,  like  the  former,  if  raised  at  all,  should  be  sown  and 
treated  in  its  cultivation  as  winter  cabbage,  which  see,  page 
128. 

It  is  properly  a  turnip  mounted  upon  a  stem,  or,  rather, 
formed  by  the  enlargement  of  the  stem  near  its  crown,  the 
leaves  which  form  the  crown  of  the  plant  being  thrown  out  im- 
mediately above  and  partially  upon  the  swelling  which  forms 
the  edible  product. 


148  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEX. 

It  is  somewhat  curious,  from  the  combination  in  appearance 
and  flavor  of  the  cabbage  and  turnip,  but  is  really  not  worth 
raising,  though  becoming  common  in  our  markets  from  the 
demand  for  it  among  our  German  people,  to  whom  it  seems  as 
a  memorial  of  "  fatherland." 

LEEK. 

French,  Porreau. — German,  Porro. — Spanish,  Puerro. 

SCOTCH,  LONDON,  &c.  (name  not  material). 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  thinly  in  shallow  drills  fifteen  inches  apart,  in  rich  soil ; 
cover  lightly,  and  if  dry,  give  water.  When  from  four  to  eight 
inches  high,  thin  them  carefully  to  six  inches  apart  in  the  row. 
Keep  them  clean  with  frequent  hoeings,  and  gradually  earth 
up  to  blanch  and  sweeten  them. 

Time :  sow  at  the  earliest  opening  of  spring,  and  thin  or 
transplant  as  above  directed.  At  the  South  a  second  sowing 
may  be  made  in  early  fall,  treating  the  plants  in  the  same 
manner. 

The  plants  obtained  by  thinning  may  be  set  out  in  well- 
prepared  drills  or  furrows  three  or  four  inches  deep,  and  if 
carefully  hoed  and  earthed  up  as  above  directed,  will  grow 
large  and  fine  for  their  appropriate  uses  in  soups,  &c.,  in  win- 
ter and  spring. 

The  leek  is  a  perfectly  hardy  species  of  onion,  with  a  rather 
broad  flag  leaf,  and  swelling  but  slightly,  the  neck  formed  by 
the  leaf-sheaths  being  its  chief  product  for  use. 

LETTUCE. 

French,  Laitue. — German,  Gartensalat. — Spanish,  Lechuga. 

1.    IMPERIAL    ICE-HEAD.      2.    SILESIAN.      3.    WHITE    CABBAGE. 
4.   CURLED   INDIA.      5.  TENNIS   BALL.      6.  GREEN   HEAD. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  thinly  in  very  shallow  drills,  a  foot  apart,  in  your  rich- 
est soil.  Cover  lightly,  and  if  dry,  give  water.  For  head  salad 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  149 

thin  or  transplant  them  to  nine  inches  or  a  foot  apart,  and  hoe 
often. 

Time  :  at  the  very  earliest  moment  in  spring,  whether  North 
or  South,  in  the  open  ground  or  hot  bed.  They  may  be  again 
sown  in  early  fall  for  use  before  winter ;  and  again,  alone  or 
with  spinach,  later  in  the  season  to  winter  out,  or  for  winter 
lettuce  under  glass  in  a  cold  bed,  which  may  be  banked  with 
stable  manure  if  necessary  to  forward  them. 

Though  there  is  a  wide  field  for  selection  among  the  innu- 
merable varieties  of  lettuce,  yet  the  first  three  numbered  above 
will  be  found  adequate  to  the  supply  of  all  reasonable  demands, 
and  are  decidedly  superior  to  most  others. 

There  are  unexplained  peculiarities  about  the  seed  and  plant 
of  the  lettuce  which  afford  valuable  means  of  judging  of  its 
character.  Varieties  that  are  so  milky  and  bitter  as  to  be  al- 
most valueless  as  salads,  except  to  persons  of  a  bitter  fancy,  are 
almost  invariably  of  a  reddish  or  dark-brown  color,  and  usual- 
ly, if  not  always,  have  black  seed.  If  the  seed,  therefore,  be 
black,  you  may  infer  that  the  lettuce  is  more  or  less  bitter, 
whatever  its  color  may  be  ;  and  if  the  color  be  reddish  or  dark 
brown,  the  same  inference  may  be  drawn,  whatever  the  appear- 
ance of  the  seed.  This  defect  may,  however,  be  overcome  by 
blanching  the  heads  of  such  varieties,  which  is  effected  either 
by  gathering  the  leaves  into  an  upright  position,  and  tying 
them  up,  or  by  covering  them  with  pans  as  directed  for  endive, 
page  142. 

There  are  two  very  distinct  classes  of  lettuce :  the  soft  or 
tender-leaved,  and  the  crisp  or  brittle. 

What  are  sometimes  called  coss  lettuces,  of  which  No.  1  is 
the  best  known  variety,  belong  to  the  latter  class,  and  the  Si- 
lesian  and  white  cabbage  to  the  former. 

O 

The  imperial  ice-head,  when  of  good  stock,  sometimes  grows 
larger  than  an  ordinary  summer  cabbage,  is  of  excellent  flavor, 
and  of  glass-like  brittleness. 

The  Silesian  or  yellow  curled,  and  the  curled  India,  with 
high  cultivation,  will  grow  nearly  as  large,  are  of  good  quality, 
handsomely  curled,  and  very  tender. 


150  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

These  may  be  sown  in  hot  bed  before  spring  opens,  and 
transplanted  as  soon  as  practicable,  or  they  may  be  sown  in 
shallow  drills  in  the  open  ground  as  early  as  it  is  possible  to 
prepare  it. . 

They  should  be  sown  or  planted  in  rich  soil,  and  be  thinned 
as  they  grow  by  cutting  for  use  or  hoeing  out,  until  the  plants 
left  to  form  the  main  crop  stand  from  nine  inches  to  a  foot 
apart  each  way.  Let  the  hoeing  be  frequent  and  thorough, 
and  while  the  plants  are  small,  sow  ash  compost  upon  them,  or 
water  them  with  liquid  manure,  and  early  in  the  summer  they 
will  yield  you  fine  and  excellent  head  lettuce. 

The  white  cabbage  lettuce  is  chiefly  valuable  for  its  hardi- 
ness. It  may  be  sown  in  the  fall  in  alternate  rows  with  spin- 
ach, and  the  same  slight  covering  will  protect  them  both  through 
the  winter ;  and  in  the  spring,  after  the  spinach  is  cut,  it  will 
afford  a  lettuce  crop  of  fair  quality.  Or  the  plants  may  be  set 
in  a  cold  bed  in  the  fall,  and  by  the  aid  of  glass  and  a  lining 
of  stable  manure  in  March  they  may  be  brought  to  perfection 
still  earlier.  The  tennis  ball  is  not  a  large  lettuce,  but  heads 
firmly,  and  with  some  is  a  favorite. 

The  green  head,  genuine,  is  a  good  though  not  first-class 
lettuce,  somewhat  hardy,  and  heading  freely  if  of  good  stock  ; 
but  the  name,  being  indefinite,  is  often  applied  to  different  kinds 
of  green  lettuces. 

MELONS. 

MUSKMELON. 

French,  Melon. — German,  Melone. — Spanish,  Melon. 

1.  GREEN   CITRON.      PERSIAN.      SKILLMAN'S.      2.  NUTMEG.      3. 
CANTALUPE. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Plant  in  very  rich  warm  soil,  in  hills  four  to  six  feet  apart, 
six  or  eight  seeds  in  a  hill,  an  inch  deep.  When  well  up,  thin 
to  the  three  best  plants.  Hoe  often  till  the  vines  touch. 

Time :  throughout  the  time  of  planting  the  main  crop  of 
corn  both  South  and  North.  In  regions  so  cool  as  to  render  it 
a  doubtful  crop,  the  seeds  should  be  planted  in  pots  in  a  hot 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  151 

bed  about  a  month  ahead,  and  the  plants  set  out  in  the  hills  at 
the  time  of  first  corn-hoeing,  and,  if  necessary,  covered  with 
hand-glasses.  See  page  35. 

Muskmelons,  like  all  other  vegetable  productions  that  can 
easily  be  varied  by  culture  or  neglect,  have  multiplied  names ; 
but  the  green  citron,  under  some  one  of  its  many  synonyms 
or  sub-varieties,  is  the  only  kind  that  it  seems  desirable  to 
raise.  It  is  a  netted,  green-fleshed  variety,  regularly  fluted, 
or,  as  it  is  called,  quartered,  usually  sub-globular  in  shape,  but 
sometimes  varying  almost  to  the  cheese  form.  It  is  well  known 
in  our  markets,  and  its  form  and  appearance,  once  seen,  will  al- 
ways be  remembered.  Its  quality,  when  of  good  stock  and  well 
raised,  can  not  be  surpassed. 

No.  2  derived  its  name  from  the  almost  perfect  similarity  of 
its  form  to  that  of  a  nutmeg,  and,  when  first  introduced,  was  a 
melon  of  excellent  quality ;  but,  by  the  carelessness  or  igno- 
rance of  cultivators,  it  has  been  spoiled  by  intermixture  with 
cucumber  or  pumpkin,  and  was  superseded  years  ago  by  No.  1. 
I  notice  it  only  because  the  green  citron  or  Persian  is  some- 
times erroneously  called  "  nutmeg,"  from  old  association. 

No.  3,  originally  good,  but  not  first-rate,  includes  all  those 
large  mongrel  varieties  that  are  generally  longish,  smooth,  and 
yellow  inside  and  out.  They  used  to  be  eaten  with  the  addi- 
tion of  sugar,  or  pepper  and  salt,  according  to  taste  or  lack  of 
taste  ;  and,  as  Dr.  Johnson  said  of  the  haggis,  may  be  "  pretty 
good  for  hogs."  It  is  mentioned  only  because  the  thing  and 
the  name  still  lingers  in  certain  districts  among  the  relics  of 
the  past. 

Muskmelons  of  the  best  quality  are  raised  in  rich  and  rath- 
er light  loam  ;  they  should  be  planted  in  hills  four  or  five  feet 
apart  each  way,  and  treated  in  their  culture  precisely  as  cu- 
cumbers, which  see. 

Melons  are  often  gathered  unseasonably,  and  are  then  nec- 
essarily inferior.  When  fit  for  gathering,  a  glance  at  the  stem 
where  it  is  set  on  to  the  fruit  will  show  either  a  small  quantity 
of  molasses-like  juice  exuding,  or  a  slight  cracking  of  the  con- 
nection between  the  stem  and  the  fruit,  and,  on  taking  the  fruit 


152  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

in  the  hand,  it  will  be  found  to  separate  readily  from  the  stem. 
No  melon  to  which  the  stem  adheres,  or  from  which  it  has 
been  separated  by  force  or  by  the  knife,  is  worth  eating. 

The  melon-patch  should  be  looked  over  every  day  about 
noon,  and  the  fruit  then  gathered  be  kept  to  cool  and  mature 
for  next  day's  use.  If,  from  previous  neglect,  the  fruit  is  be- 
coming yellow,  it  should  be  cooled  and  eaten  the  same  day. 
It  is  a  cooling  and  slightly  restringent  fruit,  and,  if  ripe  and 
fresh,  can  not  be  eaten  to  excess. 

WATERMELON. 
French,  Melon  d'eau. — German,  Wasser-melone. — Spanish,  Melon  de  agua. 

CAROLINA.      SPANISH.       LONG    ISLAND.      EARLY    APPLE-SEED. 
ORANGE.      CITRON,  &C. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Plant  in  hills  six  feet  apart,  enriched  with  compost,  or  in 
very  rich  warm  soil,  five  or  six  seeds  in  a  hill,  an  inch  deep. 
When  well  up,  thin  to  the  three  best  plants.  Hoe  often,  gradu- 
ally hilling  up  until  the  vines  touch,  and  after  the  young  fruit 
appears  cut  off  the  extreme  ends  of  the  most  luxuriant  shoots. 

Time :  about  ten  days  after  corn-planting. 

There  is  not  much  variety  in  the  character  of  ordinary  wa- 
termelons, except  as  they  may  be  adapted  to  or  affected  by  the 
climate  in  which  they  are  raised.  Fruits  essentially  Southern 
can  not  be  expected  to  attain  perfection  in  a  northern  latitude. 

Of  the  above  named  kinds,  it  is  better,  therefore,  at  the 
North  to  choose  the  Long  Island  or  the  early  apple-seeded  va- 
rieties than  to  risk  disappointment  by  planting  those  which  in 
suitable  locations  would  grow  larger  and  richer. 

The  orange  watermelon  is  a  recent  variety,  of  excellent  qual- 
ity and  peculiar  habit,  the  inside  of  the  fruit  separating  read- 
ily from  the  rind  like  an  orange,  whence  its  name. 

The  "  citron"  is  almost  solid  and  tasteless,  and  is  used  only 
for  making  preserves — a  mere  vehicle  for  the  exhibition  of 
sugar  and  various  flavorings. 

Their  culture  is  the  same  as  for  muskmelon,  ivhich  see. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN,  153 


MUSHROOMS. 

French,  Cliimpignon  comestible. — German,  Essbare  B latter schamme. — Span- 
ish, Seta. 

The  mushroom  is  a  plant  of  the  fungus  family,  which  is 
abundantly  produced  in  our  old  pastures  when  a  dry  summer 
is  followed  by  a  rather  moist  and  warm  fall.  They  may  also 
be  raised  from  what  is  known  as  "  mushroom  spawn."  This 
is  composed  of  loam,  cut  straw,  and  the  fresh  droppings  of  dry- 
fed  and  highly-kept  horses,  in  which  the  spores  or  invisible 
seeds  of  the  mushroom  have  been  caused  to  germinate  by  gen- 
tle fermentation  in  a  dry  place,  producing  a  minute,  white, 
tubercular  or  thread-like  growth  throughout  the  mass.  The 
ordinary  process  is  first  to  work  the  whole  into  the  condition 
of  thick  mortar  or  potters'  clay,  which  the  cut  straw  is  used  to 
bind  together,  after  which  it  is  formed  into  small  bricks,  into 
each  of  which  a  piece  of  old  "  spawn"  is  inserted  as  leaven. 
The  bricks,  being  then  carefully  piled  upon  a  layer  of  stable 
manure,  are  covered  with  enough  of  the  same  to  induce  a  mod- 
erate warmth  in  the  mass.  When  the  bricks,  on  being  broken, 
show  that  the  spawn  introduced  or  developed  has  spread  through 
them,  they  are  thoroughly  dried,  and  in  this  state  will  keep 
good  for  several  years.  This  is  the  "  mushroom  spawn"  sold 
in  the  seed-stores.  When  broken  into  small  pieces,  it  may  be 
planted  two  or  three  inches  deep  in  a  spent  hot  bed  in  the 
spring,  or  in  a  bed  made  by  alternate  layers  of  good  sandy 
loam  and  the  horse-droppings  named  above.  There  may  be 
two  or  three  layers  of  each,  the  strata  of  horse-droppings  being 
made  four  or  six  inches  thick,  and  of  the  loam  two  inches, 
forming  altogether  a  thickness  of  sixteen  or  eighteen  inches. 
The  bed  may  be  large  or  small,  as  is  found  convenient,  and 
will  succeed  in  a  cellar  not  quite  dark,  or  under  a  shed,  or  in 
the  open  air,  if  formed  so  as  to  shed  rain.  It  should  be  pretty 
thickly  covered  with  loose  straw,  which  must  be  replaced  after 
each  cutting  of  mushrooms.^ 

Instead  of  planting  the  bed  with  spawn,  if  in  the  season  of 
mushrooms,  ea'ch  layer,  as  it  is  made,  may  be  moderately  wa- 
tered with  lukewarm  water  in  which  ripe  mushrooms  have 

G2 


154  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

been  soaked  and  stirred.  When  finished,  the  last  layer  being 
loam,  it  must  be  covered  with  stable  manure  sufficient,  with 
that  already  in  the  bed,  to  bring  on  a  gentle  fermentation. 
In  a  few  weeks  the  "  spawn"  ought  to  be  found  spreading 
generally  in  the  mass,  and  whenever  this  occurs  the  covering 
of  manure  is  to  be  taken  off,  and  the  straw  substituted,  as 
above  directed.  After  this,  if  it  becomes  very  dry,  it  may 
have  occasional  gentle  waterings  with  lukewarm  water. 

In  this  process,  however,  success  or  failure  will  greatly  de- 
pend on  the  skill  with  which  the  fermentation  is  tempered  ; 
so  that,  in  general,  planting  the  spawn  may  be  deemed  more 
reliable.  A  mushroom  bed  properly  treated  will  continue  to 
yield  its  products  for  three  or  four  months  if  a  temperature 
equal  to  moderate  spring  or  fall  warmth  be  maintained,  say 
about  60°. 

Mushrooms  are  very  greatly  esteemed  by  many  on  account 
of  their  rich,  peculiar,  and  high  flavor,  whether  stewed,  or 
fried  in  sweet  fat,  or  made  into  catsup  in  the  ordinary  mode, 
with  suitable  spices. 

In  gathering  wild  mushrooms  there  is  sometimes  danger  of 
getting  by  mistake  other  kinds  of  fungi  which  may  be  poison- 
ous. The  true  mushroom  has  a  short  stout  stem,  reddish  gills, 
and  an  agreeable  odor,  considerably  resembling  the  smell  of 
the  fruit  of  the  egg-plant. 

Another  variety  of  eatable  mushroom  (Agaricus  Edulis), 
known  as  the  "  steeple-top,"  is  sometimes  found,  though  much 
more  rarely  than  the  former. 

In  the  lots  it  comes  earlier  than  the  common,  with  a  longer 
stem  and  conical  top,  but  having,  like  it,  a  pleasant  smell.  It 
has  not,  I  think,  been  raised  artificially. 

MUSTARD. 

French,  Mmtarde. — German,  Sen/.—  Spanish,  Mostaza. 

WHITE  (REALLY  YELLOW).    BROWN. 

BRIEF    DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  the  white  mustard  thickly  in  shallow  drills  a  foot  apart 
from  time  to  time  through  the  season,  each  time  one  week 


AMERICAN  HOME^  GARDEN.  155 

later  than  the  corresponding  sowing  of  pepper-grass  (see  page 
166) ;  treat  in  the  same  manner,  and  they  will  be  ready  to  cut 
together. 

White  mustard  is  chiefly  used,  either  alone  or  with  pepper- 
grass,  lettuce,  etc.,  in  salads,  for  which  purpose  it  is  cut  before 
the  third  leaf  is  formed  upon  the  plant,  or  pulled,  and  the 
mere  roots  cut  off.  When  of  larger  growth  it  is  sometimes 
used  for  greens.  See  page  144.  The  seed  is  used  medicinal- 
ly, and  also  for  seasoning  pickles.  Brown  mustard  is  raised 
for  the  seed,  from  which  the  condiment  known  upon  our  tables 
as  mustard,  when  pure,  is  chiefly  made. 

NASTURTIUM. 

French,  Capucin. — German,  Kapersinerblum. — Spanish,  Nasturcio. 

TALL.      DWARF. 

BRIEF    DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  in  good  soil,  in  drills  an  inch  deep  and  three  feet  apart, 
and  brush  them  like  peas ;  or  by  a  fence  or  trellis  upon  which 
they  can  climb ;  or  they  may  be  planted  in  hills  four  feet 
apart  each  way,  either  with  or  without  brushing.  Keep  them 
clean  until  they  begin  to  run,  and  afterward  they  will  take 
care  of  themselves. 

Time  :  the  opening  of  spring.     In  New  York,  first  of  May. 

The  young  plants  of  nasturtiums  are  highly  esteemed  in 
salads.  The  flower-buds  and  the  green  seeds,  with  their  ten- 
dril-like stem,  make  pickles,  which  are  often  preferred  to  ca- 
pers. See  page  167.  The  flowers  are  quite  ornamental,  vary- 
ing from  light  yellow  to  maroon. 

i 

OKRA. 
French,  Gornbo. — German,  (?). — Spanish,  Quimbombo. 

LONG,  OR  SOUTHERN.   SHORT,  OR  NORTHERN. 

BRIEF    DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  in  extra  rich  soil,  in  drills  one  inch  deep  and  three  or 
four  feet  apart,  and  thin  to  a  foot  distance  in  the  row ;  or 


156  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

plant  in  hills  three  feet  apart  each  way,  five  or  six  seeds  in  a 
hill,  and  when  well  up,  thin  to  the  three  best  plants. 

Hoe  often,  keeping  them  perfectly  clear  of  weeds,  slightly 
and  gradually  hilling  up. 

Time  :  during  corn-planting  time,  or  immediately  after. 

Okra  is  a  southern  plant  of  the  mallow  tribe.  It  is  of  strong, 
coarse  growth,  from  two  to  four  feet  high,  bearing  abundance 
of  beautiful  flowers,  which  are  succeeded  by  long  ribbed  or 
smooth  seed-pods.  When  these  attain  their  full  size,  but 
while  still  tender,  they  are  gathered  for  use.  Their  value  is 
in  the  large  amount  of  pleasant  and  healthful  mucilage  which 
they  yield  in  boiling.  On  this  account  they  are  much  used  in 
thickening  soups,  for  which  purpose  they  may  be  kept  for  win- 
ter use  by  being  cut  up  in  cross  slices  or  "  rings,"  and  dried 
upon  strings  like  apples. 

They  are  also  boiled  and  eaten  with  drawn  butter,  as  aspar- 
agus ;  or  the  tender  pods  are  used  for  pickles.  See  page  167. 

The  ripe  seeds,  roasted  and  used  for  coffee,  are,  perhaps,  not 
at  all  inferior  to  it. 

The  whole  plant  is  also  said  to  make  excellent  material  for 
paper,  the  only  difficulty  being  in  obtaining  quantity,  an  ordi- 
nary cart-load  of  the  okra  being  required  for  each  ream  of  pa- 
per. It  is  certainly  worth  while  to  ascertain  carefully  the  val- 
ue of  the  seeds  as  "  coffee,"  that,  if  available  as  a  substitute, 
the  cultivation  of  the  plant  may  be  extended. 

ONION. 

French,  Oignon. — German,  Zwiebel. — Spanish,  Cebolla. 

1.    RED.      2.    WHITE.      3.    YELLOW. 

BRIEF  DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  in  very  rich,  light  soil,  in  drills  twelve  inches  apart ; 
cover  lightly.  Keep  clean  ;  and  if  large  onions  are  wanted, 
thin  to  three  or  four  inches  ;  hoe  often,  and  water  with  liquid 
guano,  either  from  Peru  or  the  hen-roost. 

Time :  sow  at  the  very  earliest  opening  of  spring,  whether 
at  the  South  or  North.  They  may  also  be  sown  in  the  fall 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  157 

with  safety,  being  perfectly  hardy  after  they  once  sprout.     In 
New  York,  sow  during  March  and  April. 


FORMS   OP   ONIONS. 

Fig.  77. 


a.  Inferior  Globe  Onion,  running  to  thick  neck. 
6.  Flat  Bareripe,  or  early  Onion. 

c.  Common  flat  Onion. 

d.  Best  form  of  Onion. 

The  varieties  of  onion  are  numerous,  and  the  names  still 
more  numerous  than  the  varieties.  The  names  designating 
color  are  abundantly  sufficient  to  distinguish  the  desirable 
kinds,  form  being  entirely  secondary,  and  readily  changeable 
by  the  care  or  carelessness  of  the  cultivator. 

In  general  it  may  be  remarked  that  a  good  form  for  a  com- 
mon turnip  is  a  good  form'  for  an  onion.  See  Fig.  80,  p.  186. 

Common  red,  number  one,  is  an  onion  of  the  best  quality, 
being  milder  and  sweeter  than  the  others,  but  the  white  and 
yellow  are  preferred  where  the  discoloration  produced  in  cook- 
ing by  the  former  is  regarded  as  a  serious  objection  to  its  use. 
The  yellow  may  generally  be  kept  for  use  later  in  the  spring 
than  either  the  red  or  white. 

The  ground  upon  which  onions  are  to  be  raised  should  be 
light  and  rich,  having  been  used  for  some  clean  crop,  or  for 
onions,  the  previous  season  ;  and  if,  after  the  ground  is  prepared, 
straw  or  rubbish  is  spread  evenly  upon  it  and  burned,  it  will 
destroy  to  some  extent  those  weed-seeds  which  would  be  most 
troublesome,  and  afford  a  good  top-dressing  for  the  young  crop. 
After  the  burning,  the  seed  should  be  sown  in  drills  one  foot 
apart  and  half  an  inch  deep,  and  carefully  raked  in.  If  the 
soil  be  very  light,  a  gentle  pressure  upon  the  surface,  either  by 
the  back  of  the  rake  or  other  means,  will  be  found  to  set  the 
earth  about  the  seed  and  promote  its  prompt  vegetation.  After 


158  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

the  plants  are  up  they  should  be  kept  perfectly  clean  by  fre- 
quent hoeing  and  hand-weeding,  and  thinned  to  one  or  two 
inches  apart,  or  to  four  inches  if  large  onions  are  desired,  and 
in  their  cultivation  avoid  any  earthing  up  of  the  bulbs. 

Onions  while  growing  are  greatly  benefited  by  liquid  ma- 
nure (see  p.  64),  which  may  be  applied  once  or  twice  a  week 
until  they  begin  to  ripen.  Onions  which,  from  late  sowing  or 
other  causes,  do  not  swell  and  ripen,  if  earthed  up  a  little  and 
left  out  through  the  winter,  will  yield  excellent  young  onions 
very  early  in  the  spring.  Choice  ones  intended  for  seeding 
should  also  be  set  out  in  the  fall,  four  or  five  inches  deep. 

ONION  SETS. 

Onions  are  often  raised  from  what  are  called  "  sets,"  that  is, 
very  small  onions  of  any  color,  which  are  either  culled  from  the 
general  crop,  or  obtained  for  this  purpose  by  being  sown  late 
and  very  thickly,  so  that  they  are  stunted  in  their  growth,  and 
form  only  small  roots,  which  ripen  prematurely.  These  are 
set  out  in  the  spring  by  being  merely  pressed  with  the  thumb 
and  finger  into  the  soft,  freshly-dug  earth,  at  three  or  four 
inches  apart,  in  rows  a  foot  wide,  and  cultivated  as  above  di- 
rected for  onions  from  the  seed.  The  young  seed-stems  which 
they  usually  throw  up  must  be  carefully  broken  out  when  six 
to  twelve  inches  high,  to  aid  or  force  the  formation  of  bulbs. 
Sets  thus  treated  yield  a  part  of  the  green  onions  sold  in  spring, 
and  the  very  early  stringed  and  barreled  dry  onions  known  in 
our  markets  as  rareripes. 

ESCALLIONS. 

Onions  that  are  too  large  for  sets,  and  the  refuse  onions  that 
remain  over  from  the  winter's  consumption,  when  planted  in 
the  spring,  in  rich  soil,  yield  mild  and  pleasant  green  onions, 
known  as  escallions,  which  are  ready  for  use  almost  as  early  as 
shallots,  but  are  greatly  preferable  to  them. 

TOP  ONIONS. 
RED.      WHITE.      YELLOW. 

Top  onions  produce  their  sets,  as  the  common  kinds  yield 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  159 

their  seed,  in  a  ball  on  the  top  of  the  stalk.  The  common  wild 
onion,  so  abundant  in  some  dry  lands,  and  so  offensive  in  milk, 
and  butter,  and  flour,  is  a  small  and  strong  variety  of  this 
species. 

To  obtain  top  onion  sets,  plant  the  large  onions,  the  growth 
of  the  previous  year,  either  in  the  fall  or  spring,  at  about  six 
inches  apart,  in  rows  a  foot  wide,  and  keep  clean  until  the  rip- 
ening of  the  top  sets,  or  seed,  as  it  is  more  commonly  termed, 
which  will  be  shown  by  the  changing  color  of  the  stalks. 
These  sets,  being  carefully  kept  in  a  dry  and  cool,  but  not 
freezing  place,  until  early  spring,  are  set  out  and  cultivated  in 
the  same  manner  as  the  common  onion  sets  above  described,  p. 
158,  and  yield  their  produce  about  the  same  time,  or  a  little 
earlier. 

For  early  use,  the  top  onion,  whether  green  or  dry,  is  valua- 
ble on  account  of  its  general  mildness ;  but  it  is  also  a  little 
soft  or  spongy  in  texture,  and  therefore  not  esteemed  after  the 
coming  in  of  the  general  crop  of  common  onions. 

Of  late  years,  quantities  of  them,  of  large  size,  are  annually 
brought  early  to  Northern  markets  from  Bermuda  and  the 
South. 

POTATO   ONIONS. 

Potato  onions  are  so  called  from  their  habit  of  producing 
their  bulbs  just  below  the  surface  of  the  ground.  The  large 
roots  of  these  onions  are  planted,  in  the  same  manner  as  above 
directed  for  top  onions,  to  furnish  the  sets,  and  these,  in  turn, 
produce  onions  for  use.  Unless  raised  with  special  care,  they 
are  apt  to  be  strong  and  unpleasant.  To  have  them  good,  it  is 
necessary  to  divide  the  sets  in  the  spring  until  each  has  but  a 
single  heart ;  then  set  them  out  in  very  rich,  light  soil,  at  the 
ordinary  distance  for  onion  sets,  four  inches  apart  in  rows  a  foot 
wide,  and  cultivate  them  faithfully  by  frequent  hoeings  and 
top  dressing,  or  the  use  of  liquid  manure  (see  p.  35),  and  they 
will  yield  you  fine  large  onions,  of  a  very  mild  and  agreeable 
flavor. 


160  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

WELSH   ONION. 

Ordinarily,  vegetables  reproduce  themselves  freely  only  in 
one  direction,  which  may  be  either  by  sets  from  the  root  or  by 
seed  (see  p.  66) ;  but  to  this  general  rule  the  Welsh  onion  is 
an  exception,  multiplying  itself  rapidly  by  the  offsets,  which  it 
produces  almost  as  freely  as  shallots,  and  by  the  seed,  which  it 
yields  in  the  same  manner,  though  not  quite  so  abundantly  as 
the  common  onion.  Sets  for  planting  may  therefore  ]oe  raised 
from  seed  or  obtained  in  the  fall  from  the  roots.  These,  if  only 
intended  for  family  use,  should  stand  permanently  in  a  single 
row,  or  as  edging  to  a  path,  so  that  they  may  spread  freely,  the 
outer  offsets  being  slipped  from  the  roots  for  use  in  the  spring ; 
or,  if  intended  for  sale,  they  may  be  planted  in  August  or  Sep- 
tember, in  rich  soil,  three  or  four  inches  deep,  in  rows  fifteen  to 
eighteen  inches  wide,  and  a  foot  apart  in  the  row,  a  new  plant- 
ing being  made  every  fall,  and  the  whole  crop  taken  up  for 
market  every  second  or  third  year. 

They  do  not  swell  into  large  bulbs,  like  common  onions,  but 
resemble  a  large  shallot  or  an  escallion  (see  p.  158),  and  are 
used  in  the  same  manner,  and  only  while  green. 

PARSLEY. 

French,  Persil. — German,  Petersilie. — Spanish,  Perejil. 

CURLED.      PLAIN. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  in  shallow  drills  twelve  inches  apart,  in  very  rich,  light 
soil.  Cover  lightly,  and  if  dry,  give  water.  Thin  the  plants 
to  three  inches,  and  keep  clean  by  repeated  hoeings. 

Time :  throughout  spring  and  summer  at  the  North,  or  spring 
and  fall  at  the  South. 

The  earlier-sown  crop  of  parsley  at  the  North  should  be 
used  during  summer  and  fall,  or  be  taken  up  and  stored,  with 
the  roots  in  the  earth,  in  a  light  cellar  for  winter.  The  later- 
sown  crop,  if  not  so  late  as  to  be  feeble  at  the  coming  of  win- 
ter, will  bear  the  severe  cold  better,  though  sometimes  either 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


161 


will  stand  out  safely,  and  at  other  times  both  will  fail.  A 
slight  covering  of  litter  or  evergreen  brush,  however,  will  usu- 
ally afford  security. 

Generally,  the  more  curled  and  beautiful  the  plant,  the  less 
vigorous  is  its  growth,  and  by  .some  persons  the  plain  kind  is 
thought  to  be  of  better  flavor ;  but  in  this  respect  either  is  good 
enough,  and  the  superior  beauty  of  the  former  variety  will  al- 
ways insure  it  the  preference  where  quantity  is  not  a  control- 
ling consideration. 

It  is  largely  used  for  garnishing.  The  whole  plant  is  also 
used  in  soups,  and,  in  default  of  the  plant,  the  seeds,  tied  in  a 
small  bag,  may  be  substituted. 

PARSNEP. 

French,  Panais. — German,  Pastinake. — Spanish,  Chirivia. 

FORMS   OF   PARSNEPS. 


a.  Long,  deep  Parsnep,  inferior. 
6.  Cup  Parsnep,  superior. 


162  AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 

1.    CUP,  OR  GUERNSEY.      2.    LONG  WHITE.      3.   ROUND. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  in  good  deep  soil,  in  drills  eighteen  inches  apart,  and 
about  an  inch  deep.  Cover  carefully  and  firmly,  and  if  dry, 
give  water.  Thin  the  plants  to  six  or  eight  inches,  and  hoe 
often  and  deeply  till  the  tops  touch. 

Time  :  late  spring  or  the  beginning  of  summer  at  the  North. 
At  the  close  of  summer  in  the  South.  New  York,  throughout 
May  or  in  the  beginning  of  June. 

The  cup  parsnep,  No.  1,  so  called  from  the  shape  of  its  crown, 
is  on  all  accounts  the  best.  Its  form  is  good  as  well  as  its 
quality,  and  its  medium  length  secures  as  easy  harvesting  as 
seems  practicable  for  a  deep-root  crop. 

The  long  white,  No.  2,  is  apt  to  be  comparatively  thin  and 
stringy,  and  sometimes  runs  so  deep  that  it  becomes  a  task  to 
harvest  it.  The  "  round"  (or  rather  "  short"),  No.  3,  is  a  new 
variety,  possessing  nothing  to  induce  its  preference  to  No.  1. 
It  is  sometimes  called  early,  but  earliness  in  a  winter  root  is 
not  of  special  importance. 

Parsneps  may  be  sown  at  any  time  from  April  to  July  at  the 
North,  and  as  late  as  August  or  September  at  the  South ;  the 
later  the  better  if  they  can  be  driven  rapidly  in  their  growth 
by  careful,  constant  cultivation.  See  remarks  under  Beet,  p. 
120. 

If  the  crop  is  to  be  plowed,  let  the  rows  be  two  feet  apart, 
and  while  the  plants  are  quite  small,  thin  them  to  six  or  eight 
inches  in  the  row,  and  keep  the  earth  about  them  clean  and 
loose  through  the  season. 

The  roots  may  be  harvested  in  the  fall,  and  stored  in  an  out- 
house or  cellar,  either  in  a  bin  or  in  a  pile,  which  should  be 
slightly  covered  with  sand  or  common  earth  ;  or  they  may  'be 
left  in  the  open  ground  through  the  winter,  and  taken  out  for 
use  as  they  are  wanted.  It  should  be  remembered,  however, 
that  after  they  begin  to  grow  in  the  spring  they  are  undesira- 
ble for  use,  becoming  in  a  measure  poisonous. 

The  parsnep  has  some  advantages  over  other  root  crops ;.  it 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  163 

is  not  affected  injuriously  by  frost  after  being  stored,  and  is 
less  watery.     See  Analysis  and  Value,  page  500. 

PEAS. 
French,  Pois. — German,  Erbse. — Spanish,  Guisantes. 

EARLY:  Cedo  Nulli.  Canada.  Emperor.  Washington. 
Frame.  Petersburg.  Warwick,  &c.,  &c. 

LATE  :  Knight's  Dwarf.  Dwarf  Blue  Imperial.  Royal 
Dwarf.  Dwarf  White  Marrowfat.  Tall  Marrowfat,  &c.,  &c. 

BRIEF    DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  in  drills  from  two  to  five  feet  apart,  and  about  two  inch- 
es deep.  When  well  up,  hoe  and  draw  the  earth  to  them  light- 
ly, and  set  brush  from  three^to  six  feet  high  along  them. 

Time  :  from  November  to  February  at  the  South.  At  the 
North,  from  March  to  the  last  of  May. 

All  the  first  named  are  only  sub- varieties  of  the  same  spe- 
cies, and  while  some  of  them  are  to  be  preferred  on  account  of 
their  superior  earliness,  it  will  be  found  a  general  rule  that 
the  earlier  the  pea  the  poorer  the  crop. 

Of  the  early  kinds  named  above,  the  Canada  and  the  cedo 
nulli  are  valuable  for  extra  early ;  for  ordinary  crop,  the  early 
Washington,  frame,  Emperor,  Petersburg,  or  Warwick,  the  last- 
named,  if  genuine,  being  perhaps  the  finest  flavored  of  early 
peas  when  cooked  and  eaten  freshly  gathered.  Delicacy  of 
flavor  is  generally  a  fugitive  quality,  and  peas  long  gathered 
or  heated  lose  it. 

The  finer  varieties  of  peas  are  in  general  less  abundant  bear- 
ers than  those  which  are  inferior.  The  combination  of  fair 
quantity  with  good  quality  will  be  found  in  the  early  varieties 
already  commended ;  and  among  the  later  kinds,  in  the  dwarf 
blue  imperial,  the  royal  dwarf,  sometimes  called  Missouri  mar- 
rowfat, and  the  large  white  dwarf  marrowfat. 

Of  peas  it  may  be  remarked  that,  commonly,  those  which  are 
perfectly  full  and  smooth  are  less  sweet  than  those  which  are 
wrinkled  or  misshapen,  the  degree  of  sweetness  being  usually 
in  proportion  to  the  shrinkage  of  the  seed  in  drying.  Knight's 


164  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

marrowfat,  and  kindred  varieties,  which  are  the  sweetest  of 
peas,  are  often  found  shrunken  almost  to  a  cube  form.  The 
analogy  between  this  and  the  similar  shrinkage  of  sugar  corn 
will  at  once  suggest  itself  to  the  intelligent  reader,  and  may 
afford  matter  for  interesting  investigation.  It  should,  how- 
ever, be  remembered  that  mere  sweetness  is  not  all  that  is  de- 
sirable in  a  good  pea.  To  some  persons  excessive  sweetness 
would  be  an  objection. 

Numerous  fancy  kinds  of  peas  are  annually  imported  from 
Europe  by  our  seedsmen,  some  of  them  of  great  excellence,  but 
requiring  too  much  care  and  too  high  culture  to  become  staple 
varieties.  Of  such,  the  "  Champion  of  England"  among  kinds 
called  early,  and  the  "  British  Queen"  among  later  ones,  may 
be  named  as  of  the  highest  character. 

In  speaking  of  peas,  the  terms  dwarf  and  tall  are  rela- 
tive, and  very  indefinite.  The  Spanish  dwarf  pea  grows  six 
inches  high,  the  dwarf  marrowfat  nearly  six  feet,  yet  the  latter 
is  rightly  enough  named  dwarf,  for  the  tall  marrowfats  grow 
from  ten  to  twelve  feet,  needing  bean-poles  to  support  them 
instead  of  pea-brush. 

The  ground  for  peas  should  never  be  freshly  manured  on  ac- 
count of  the  overgrowth  of  vine  which  it  occasions,  but  for  late 
peas  the  soil  should  be  rich  and  strong  ;  for  early  ones,  simply 
good  and  dry. 

Peas  may  be  sown  at  intervals  of  one  or  two  weeks  from  the 
very  first  opening  of  spring  till  a  month  after,  or  until  the 
close  of  corn-planting  time.  The  drills  for  them  should  be  full 
two  inches  deep,  for  the  early  kinds  two  feet  apart,  and  for  the 
late  kinds  from  three  to  five  feet,  according  to  the  height  they 
are  calculated  to  grow.  The  brush  for  peas  of  the  proper 
height  for  the  kinds  sown  should  be  stuck  firmly  four  or  five 
inches  apart  on  each  side  of  the  row,  with  just  so  much  incli- 
nation inward  as  to  bring  the  tops  together,  yet  leaving  the 
whole  as  bushy  or  spreading  as  possible,  that  the  growth  may 
have  room  to  wander,  and  as  large  a  surface  as  possible  be  ex- 
posed. No  crowded  crop  ever  grows  finely  or  yields  superior 
products. 

Some  sow  their  peas  in  double  rows  at  six  or  eight  inches 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  165 

apart  in  order  to  save  a  portion  of  the  labor  of  brushing,  but  it 
is  very  doubtful  if  a  double  row  will,  in  general,  yield  more 
than  a  single  one,  for  the  blossoms  are  mostly  thrown  out  in 
proportion  to  the  exposure  of  the  vines  to  the  air  and  the  room 
which  the  roots  find.  Every  one  has  observed  that  two  plants 
growing  close  together  do  not  make  a  larger  growth  or  yield  a 
heavier  product  than  if  but  one  had  occupied  the  place  and 
drawn  its  nourishment  from  the  same  surface. 

The  hoe  should  be  used  promptly  and  carefully  when  the 
peas  are  up  one  or  two  inches,  and  in  the  course  of  the  season 
frequent  hoeing  will  be  necessary  to  aid  their  growth  and  to 
earth  them  up. 

In  large  market-garden  pea  culture,  brushing  is  entirely 
dispensed  with  ;  they  are  sown  in  wide  rows,  and  the  crop  is 
heavily  earthed  up  by  plowing. 

A  crop  of  turnips  may  generally  be  obtained  from  the  ground 
upon  which  early  peas  have  been  raised,  or  it  may  be  prepared 
for  the  fall  sowing  of  spinach,  lettuce,  etc. 

Peas  may  be  profitably  raised  as  a  farm  crop  in  Northern  or 
high  localities,  where  the  pea  bug  will  not  infest  them.  They 
are  usually  sown  broadcast,  at  the  rate  of  about  four  bushels  to 
the  acre,  with  a  few  oats  intermixed  to  give  the  pea- vines  a 
partial  support,  and  are  mowed  or  cradled  when  ripe.  But, 
wherever  a  good  crop  of  corn  can  be  raised,  peas  should  disap- 
pear from  the  list  of  ordinary  farm  crops.  For  Analysis  and 
Value,  see  page  500. 

PEPPER. 

French,  Piment. — German,  Spanischer  Pfejfer.   Pfejfer. — Spanish,  Pimento. 

1.   SQUASH.      2.   BELL.      3.    SWEET  SPANISH.      4.    CAYENNE. 
5.    BIRD. 

BEIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Set  the  plants  twelve  or  fifteen  inches  apart,  in  rows  eight- 
een inches  wide,  in  very  rich,  warm  soil,  and  hoe  often  till  they 
are  in  full  blossom. 

Time  :  in  hot  bed,  sow  six  weeks  before  corn-planting  time. 

In  the  open  ground,  sow  or  set  out  plants  just  before  first 
corn-hoeing. 


166  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

In  household  use,  peppers  are  in  demand  chiefly  for  making 
or  flavoring  pickles.  The  squash  pepper  answers  both  these 
purposes,  for  the  former  of  which  its  thick,  fleshy  character 
especially  fits  it. 

The  bell  and  sweet  Spanish  peppers  grow  larger,  but  are  com- 
paratively thin,  though  they  are  often  used  and  esteemed  for 
the  same  purposes  as  the  former,  particularly  in  making  man- 
goes. 

The  long,  or  "  Cayenne,"  is  chiefly  used  in  the  manufacture 
of  the  condiment  known  by  that  name  ;  and  the  bird  pepper  is 
used  to  make  the  familiar  "  pepper- sauce." 

Peppers,  whether  sown  in  the  open  ground  or  transplanted 
from  the  hot  bed,  should  stand  in  rows  eighteen  inches  wide, 
leaving  the  plants  at  least  twelve  inches  apart.  They  should 
be  often  hoed,  and  the  earth  gradually  but  moderately  raised 
around  them,  so  as  to  afford  support  to  them  when  top-heavy 
with  their  fruit. 

PEPPERGRASS. 

French,  Cresson  Alenois. — German,  Kresse. — Spanish,  Mastuerzo. 

1.    CURLED.      2.    PLAIN. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  in  shallow  drills,  twelve  inches  apart.  Cover  lightly, 
and  if  dry,  give  water.  Keep  perfectly  clear  of  weeds. 

Time :  every  two  weeks  throughout  the  season,  if  it  is  de- 
sired. 

Between  the  above  varieties  there  is  but  slight  difference, 
though  the  first  named  is  esteemed  of  better  quality  and  pret- 
tier appearance  than  the  last.  It  may  be  successfully  raised 
as  above  directed,  and  the  ground  upon  which  it  is  sown  in 
spring  can  be  used  for  some  later  crop. 

There  is  a  broad-leaved  cress,  sometimes  known  as  roquette, 
somewhat  resembling  the  water  cress,  by  some  called  land 
cress,  and  by  others  garden  cress,  which  is  a  hardy  biennial 
that  yields  a  strong  peppery  salad  through  the  fall  and  very 
early  in  the  following  spring,  if  sown  and  cultivated  as  parsley 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  167 

(which  see,  p.  160).  If  sown  at  all,  it  should  be  in  a  warm, 
rich  spot,  and  if  slightly  covered  for  winter  it  will  start  the 
earlier  in  spring. 

PICKLES. 

French,  Saumure.—  German,  PeTcel. — Spanish,  Eschabeches. 

A  great  variety  of  articles  are  used  for  pickles,  viz.,  beans, 
beets,  brocoli,  cabbage,  especially  the  red  or  purple,  carrots, 
cauliflower,  cucumbers  small  and  large,  green  and  ripe,  the 
seeds  being  first  removed  from  the  latter,  garlic,  okra,  Martynia 
or  proboscis  plant,  melons,  nasturtiums,  small  onions,  peppers, 
shallots,  tomatoes,  Madeira-nuts,  black  walnuts,  butternuts,  &c. 
The  processes  of  their  preparation  are  also  somewhat  varied. 

Nasturtiums  are  simply  bottled  in  cold  vinegar,  furnishing 
their  own  spice. 

Cabbage  is  shredded  as  cole-slaw,  and  scalded  with  the  hot 
vinegar  and  spices  which  have  been  boiled  together,  and  to 
which  the  necessary  salt  has  been  added. 

Beets  and  carrots  are  first  cooked  as  for  ordinary  use,  then 
the  hot  spiced  vinegar  is  poured  over  them,  and  when  cooled 
they  are  fit  for  use. 

Onions,  garlic,  and  shallots  are  improved  by  being  first 
lightly  boiled  in  milk  and  water.  They  are  then  skinned,  and 
the  hot  spiced  vinegar  poured  over  them  as  the  former. 

Beans,  cucumbers,  okra,  Martynia,  melons,  peppers,  and  to- 
matoes, all  which  should  be  selected  while  tender,  and  as  nearly 
as  possible  of  uniform  size,  also  brocoli  and  cauliflower,  when 
carefully  divided  into  rather  small  pieces,  may  all  be  salted 
with  dry  salt,  or  strong  brine,  if  they  will  not  make  it,  for  eight 
or  ten  days  ;  then  being  washed  off  and  soaked  in  fresh  water 
for  twenty-four  hours,  they  should  be  put  in  cold  vinegar,  with 
the  necessary  spices,  and  set  in  a  stone  pot  upon  a  stove  until 
they  are  cooked  through,  or  in  a  kettle  over  a  slow  fire  until 
upon  the  point  of  boiling,  being  careful  to  keep  them  under  the 
vinegar,  and  if  uneven  in  size,  the  larger  ones  at  the  bottom. 
Then  take  them  off,  and  put  them  while  hot  into  proper  ves- 
sels ;  cover  tightly,  and  when  cooled  they  may  be  used. 

Madeira-nuts,  black  walnuts,  and  butternuts,  if  taken  while 


168  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

yet  so  tender  that  a  needle  will  readily  penetrate  the  inner 
shell,  and,  as  a  preparatory  step,  soaked  for  a  week  in  water 
or  brine  to  leach  off  their  excessive  bitterness,  may  be  salted 
and  made  up  by  the  process  last  described,  and  are,  by  some 
persons,  preferred  to  all  other  pickles. 

The  spicing  is  varied  according  to  individual  taste.  Be- 
sides the  ordinary  spices,  white  mustard-seed,  peppers,  nastur- 
tiums, horseradish,  onions,  garlic,  etc.,  are  often  mixed  with 
the  various  kinds  of  pickles  to  flavor  them. 

PIE  PLANT. 

French,  Rhubarbe. — German,  Rhubarber. — Spanish,  Ruibarbo. 
EARLY.      LARGE   LATE.      GIANT   SEEDLESS. 

For  the  seeding  varieties  sow  from  February  to  May,  in  good 
soil,  in  a  drill  about  an  inch  deep ;  cover  carefully,  and  if 
dry,  give  water  two  or  three  times.  Keep  the  plants  clear  of 
weeds  through  the  summer,  and  in  the  following  fall  or  spring 
set  them  out  where  they  are  to  remain  permanently,  in  deep 
and  very  rich  soil,  in  rows  three  to  four  feet  wide,  and  fifteen 
to  thirty  inches  apart  in  the  row. 

Let  it  be  well  cultivated  through  the  second  year  of  its 
growth,  and  well  manured  in  the  fall,  and  in  the  following 
spring  it  may  be  freely  plucked  for  use. 

The  earlier  varieties  of  pie  plant  produce  leaf-stems  twelve 
or  fifteen  inches  in  length,  and  from  one  to  two  inches  in  cir- 
cumference, and  may  be  set  out  at  the  smaller  distances  named 
above  ;  but  the  large  varieties,  as  the  Victoria,  the  giant  seed- 
less, etc.,  coming  later  in  the  season,  and,  with  high  culture, 
yielding  leaf-stems  from  two  to  three  feet  long  and  proportion- 
ably  thick,  require  the  full  spaces  mentioned. 

Experienced  cultivators  usually  cut  out  the  seed-stalk  when 
it  first  starts,  in  order  to  encourage  the  leaf  growth.  The  giant 
seedless,  as  its  name  imports,  never  produces  a  seed- stalk  un- 
less from  a  diseased  plant,  and  with  proper  care  may  be  made 
to  yield  its  leaf-stems  more  largely /than  any  other  variety. 

For  a  private  garden  about  a  dozen  plants  of  the  early  and 
as  many  of  the  late  varieties  will  usually  furnish  a  supply. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  169 

Pie  plant  may  be  easily  forced  by  the  following  simple  proc- 
ess :  Over  each  of  the  plants  you  wish  to  force  place  an  old 
barrel,  open  at  both  ends,  but  with  a  loose  head  to  cover  the 
upper  end  as  occasion  may  require.  Pile  fresh  stable  manure 
around  it,  from  a  foot  thick  at  the  bottom  to  six  inches  at  the 
top.  Put  the  cover  on  only  in  freezing  weather,  and  if  your 
root  be  large  and  vigorous,  as  it  should  always  be  for  forcing, 
the  growth  of  long,  fine,  tender  leaf-stem  will  soon  fill  the  bar- 
rel. The  barrel  must  be  removed  as  soon  as  you  judge  that  a 
fair  amount  of  leaf  has  been  taken  from  the  plant,  and  the  op- 
eration, which  is  really  a  pretty  severe  taxing  process,  should 
not  be  repeated  upon  the  same  plant  two  years  in  succession. 
What  are  called  young  plants,  in  their  second  and  third  years, 
generally  produce  the  finest  specimens  of  growth.  To  have  a 
constant  succession  of  these,  it  is  only  necessary  to  uncover  the 
crown  of  an  old  plant  early  in  the  spring,  and  with  a  knife 
separate  a  portion  of  the  young  outer  shoots  that  are  just  start- 
ing, taking  with  them  a  small  piece  of  the  parent  root.  Set 
them  out  and  cultivate  them  as  above  directed,  and  in  the 
next  two  years  they  will  probably  produce  their  largest  and 
best  leaf- stems.  '?V* 

In  gathering  pie  plant  the  leaf  should  not  be  cut  from  the 
plant,  but  deftly  slipped  off  by  a  twisting,  sideway  pull. 

It  is  used  in  making  puddings,  pies,  and  tarts,  and  for  stew- 
ing. Its  acid  is  pretty  strong,  yet  not  rough ;  and  it  is  re- 
markable that  in  stewing,  especially  when  the  sweetening  is  a 
mixture  of  sugar  and  molasses,  quite  a  variety  of  fruit-flavors, 
as  peach,  plum,  etc.,  are  incidentally  brought  out,  though,  so 
far  as  I  know,  no  rule,  for  their  production  can  be  given.  It 
may  also  be  remarked  that  if,  after  the  stem  is  peeled  and  cut 
up  into  half-inch  pieces,  boiling  water  be  poured  upon  it  and 
allowed  to  stand  for  half  an  hour,  and  then  poured  off,  and  the 
small  quantity  of  water  necessary  to  stew  it  with  be  added  to 
it  fresh,  almost  half  the  ordinary  amount  of  sweetening  will  be 
saved,  without  any  great  injury  to  its  flavor.  Some  persons, 
however,  avoid  either  peeling  or  scalding  it,  as  calculated  to 
destroy  its  peculiar  gout,  especially  while  young  and  tender. 

H 


170  AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 

POTATO. 

French,  Pomme  de  terre. — German,  KartoffeL — Spanish,  Papa. 

KIDNEY.     WESTERN  RED.     BLUE-NOSE.     CARTER.     MERCER,  &C. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Plant  in  rows  from  two  feet  to  thirty  inches  apart,  in  rich, 
warm  soil,  and  cover  three  or  four  inches  deep.  Dress  them 
with  plaster  as  soon  as  they  are  well  up,  and  hoe  often,  hilling 
them  carefully,  but  not  high,  in  the  process. 

Time :  for  early  crop,  plant  at  the  very  first  opening  of 
spring  North  or  South.  For  the  main  crop,  a  few  weeks  later, 
which  at  New  York  may  be  in  the  beginning  of  May. 

The  culture  of  the  potato  is  so  well  known  that  it  need 
scarcely  be  mentioned  as  a  garden  vegetable,  except  with  a  par- 
ticular object,  viz.,  the  raising  of  very  early  potatoes.  For  this 
purpose  the  sets  should  have  some  special  preparation.  If  se- 
lected in  advance,  and  placed  in  a  warm  room  or  cellar,  so  that 
they  start  to  grow  about  half  an  inch  or  a  little  more  before 
planting,  and  then  be  put  in  with  care,  and  promptly  covered 
from  the  sun,  they  will,  if  the  season  prove  favorable,  go  right 
on  to  their  maturity,  and  some  time  will  be  gained. 

For  this  crop  select  a  very  warm  spot,  and  manure  it  thor- 
oughly with  fresh  warm  stable  manure  dug  or  plowed  in. 
Plant  the  sets  at  about  one  foot  apart,  in  rows  two  and  a  half 
feet  wide,  either  in  an  opened  shallow  furrow  or  in  holes  made 
for  the  purpose  with  the  hoe ;  in  either  case,  dressing  with  a 
half  handful  of  plaster,  or  lime,  or  bone-dust,  to  each  set,  and 
covering  them  about  three  inches  deep. 

Or  the  manure  may  be  laid  thickly  in  the  planting  furrows, 
made  deeper  for  this  purpose,  and  the  sets  be  laid  immediately 
upon  it,  and  dressed  and  covered  as  before  directed. 

If  the  weather  prove  cold  after  planting,  a  light  covering  of 
litter  or  coarse  manure  spread  upon  the  surface  will  be  a  ben- 
efit. 

Let  the  hoeing  be  performed  promptly  and  deeply  when  they 
appear  above  ground,  and  repeated  again  and  again,  dressing 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEK.  171 

them  at  least  once  with  half  a  handful  of  plaster  (gypsum)  to 
each  if  not  used  at  the  time  of  planting,  and  hill  them  grad- 
ually, and  they  will  soon  furnish  your  table. 

The  Mercer  or  "  Nutmeg"  may  be  planted  for  the  early  crop. 

The  potato  has  of  late  years  become  subject  to  a  disease 
known  as  the  "  potato-rot,"  by  which  the  whole  crop  of  a  farm 
or  a  district  perishes  within  a  few  days.  As  yet  it  remains  en- 
tirely unaccounted  for,  neither  has  any  remedy  for  it  been  dis- 
covered. 

The  ground  intended  for  Lima  or  other  pole  beans  may  be 
half  cropped  with  early  potatoes  by  planting  the  latter  in  rows 
four  feet  wide,  and  afterward  planting  the  beans  in  their  hills 
between  them.  The  potatoes,  if  well  planted  and  tended,  will 
come  off  in  time  to  give  the  beans  the  whole  space,  and  the 
rough  manure  used  for  the  former  will  be  reduced  to  a  proper 
state  to  feed  and  stimulate  the  latter. 

Frequent  and  pretty  thorough  experiments  have  been  made 
to  ascertain  the  proper  size  for  seed  potatoes,  and  whether  they 
ought  to  be  planted  whole  or~may  advantageously  be  cut  up, 
but  no  satisfactory  conclusion  has  been  arrived  at.  Results 
have  been  obtained  from  plantings  of  the  mere  eyes  scooped 
out  of  the  size  of  a  cherry,  and  even  from  thick  peelings,  near- 
ly or  quite  equal  to  those  given  by  plantings  of  large  whole 
tubers.  In  this  dilemma,  the  prevailing  sense  of  intelligent 
cultivators  seems  to  have  fallen  back  upon  the  general  princi- 
ple that  "  like  produces  like,"  and  to  have  concluded  that  the 
sets  ought  to  be  at  least  mature,  and  of  fair  (egg)  size,  and 
that,  if  much  larger,  they  may  be  cut.  The  principle  and  the 
practice  under  it  are  sound,  especially  in  all  vegetable  life, 
where  mere  habit  fixes  with  marvelous  rapidity.  The  results 
which  embarrassed  the  decision  were  doubtless  due  to  the  spe- 
cial care  given  in  the  course  of  the  experiments,  and  would  fail 
in  any  general  system  of  culture.  The  rule  may  be  safely 
adopted  to  plant  only  mature  tubers.  If  of  egg  size,  or  but  a 
little  larger,  plant  them  whole  ;  or  if  seed  be  of  great  import- 
ance, divide  them  lengthwise  or  diagonally.  Only  one  or  two 
eyes  grow  to  top,  however  many  the  set  may  have.  If,  there- 
fore, you  have  only,  large  potatoes,  cut  them  into  pieces  con- 


172  AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 

taining  two  or  three  eyes  each ;  let  them  dry  a  little  before 
planting;  set  them  out  as  directed  ;  give  them  good  culture, 
and  your  crop  will  be  as  good  as  soil  and  season  justify  you  in 
expecting.  Nipping  off  all  the  blossoms  before  they  open,  if 
you  can  find  time  for  the  operation,  will  somewhat  increase  the 
product.  See  Analysis  and  Value,  page  500. 
For  Sweet  Potato,  see  page  182. 

PUMPKIN. 

French,  Oitrouille.     Potiron. — German,  Kiirbis. — Spanish,  Calabaza 
Amarilla. 

1.    SEVEN-YEAR.   '  2.    CHEESE.      3.    COMMON   FIELD.      4.  MAM- 
MOTH. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Plant  in  very  rich  warm  soil,  in  hills  six  feet  apart,  six  or 
eight  seeds  in  a  hill.  When  well  up,  thin  to  the  three  best 
plants.  Hoe  often  till  the  blossoms  open. 

Time  :  throughout  the  time  of  main  corn-planting.  In  all 
May  at  New  York. 

The  keeping,  or  "  seven-year"  pumpkin,  is  an  excellent  veg- 
etable, drier  and  richer  in  quality,  and  keeping  better  than  any 
other,  though  not  actually  lasting  seven  years.  The  cheese,  or 
West  India  pumpkin,  is  also  of  great  excellence,  being  far 
handsomer  and  perhaps  more  delicate  than  the  former.  The 
common,  or  field  pumpkin,  is  too  well  known  to  require  descrip- 
tion, and  is  sometimes  preferred  by  those  who  love  its  genuine 
pumpkin  flavor. 

The  mammoth  pumpkin,  in  all  its  varieties,  is  rather  matter 
of  curiosity  than  profit.  It  is  seldom  of  fine  quality,  is  too 
large  for  profitable  domestic  use,  and  does  not  generally  yield 
more  weight  of  produce  from  a  given  quantity  of  land  than  the 
moderate-sized  varieties. 

The  brief  directions  given  above  are  ample  for  the  successful 
cultivation  of  this  vegetable,  which  is  also  often  planted  among 
corn.  Pumpkins  (and  also  squashes)  may  be  kept  well  into 
winter  in  any  dry,  cool  place,  out  of  the  reach  of  fro^t,  either 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 


173 


by  hanging  them  up  singly,  or  by  packing  them  away  in  bins 
or  barrels  with  chaff  or  cut  straw  ;  or  they  may  be  kept  for  use 
in  spring,  when  milk  and  eggs  abound,  by  being  stewed  and 
then  dried  upon  a  board  in  the  sun  or  an  oven ;  or,  still  better, 
by  being  stewed  and  put  up  in  patent  fruit-cans  in  the  ordi- 
nary manner. 

RADISH. 

French,  Radis.     Rave. — German,  Rettig. — Spanish,  Rabano. 

FORMS   OF   RADISHES. 


Fig.  T9. 


a.  Good  long  Radish. 

b.  Half  long       " 

c.  Pear-shaped  il 

d.  Uncouth  or  club-form  ;  Chinese 

rose-colored  winter  Radish. 


•  Mongrels. 


e.  Inferior  Turnip  Radish. 
/.  Good  "  '         " 

g.  Inferior  black  fall   " 
h.  Superior        "         " 


Long  Scarlet.  Long  White  Naples.  Scarlet  Turnip.  White 
Turnip.  Black  Fall,  or  Spanish.  White  Fall.  Chinese 
Rose  Winter. 


BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 


Sow  in  shallow  drills  or  on  light,  rich  soil,  left  a  little 
rough,  and  rake  the  seed  thoroughly  in.  When  well  up,  sow 
ashes  or  poudrette  pretty  liberally  upon  them. 

Time  :  from  the  earliest  spring  to  late  autumn,  omitting  the 
hottest  months  of  summer,  at  the  South  or  North. 


Of  the  various  kinds  of  radish,  the  long  scarlet  and  scarlet 


174  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

turnip  are  most  highly  esteemed.  The  white  varieties  are 
sometimes  supposed  to  be  milder,  and  to  bear  the  heat  better 
than  others,  and  on  this  account  to  be  preferable  for  summer 
use,  but  we  are  not  sure  that  experience  sustains  these  no- 
tions. 

Radishes  of  a  purple  color  are  almost  always  very  strong, 
even  acrid,  but  all  kinds  are  liable  to  become  so  by  neglect  or 
error  in  their  cultivation. 

The  various  forms  intermediate  between  the  long  and  turnip 
radish  are  generally  the  result  of  accidental  admixture,  and 
any  one  who  chooses  may  reproduce  them  from  original  sources. 
They  are  merely  fanciful,  having  no  peculiar  merit,  except  that 
the  pear-shaped  or  half  long  varieties  might  perhaps  succeed 
on  soils  where  the  longer  kinds  would  fail. 

The  black  or  white  fall  or  Spanish  radish  should  be  sown 
and  gathered  at  the  same  time  as  common  turnips,  and  may  be 
stored  in  sand  for  winter  use.  It  is  a  large,  coarse-looking 
radish,  but  of  fine,  solid  texture  and  good  quality. 

The  Chinese  rose-colored  winter  radish  is  of  pretty  appear- 
ance and  good  quality,  and  may  be  sown  at  the  same  time  or  a 
little  lat£r  than  the  black  Spanish. 

Radishes  should  be  sown  ill  light,  rich  soil,  in  drills  about 
eight  inches  apart  and  half  an  inch  deep,  and  covered  careful- 
ly by  raking  along  the  drills,  and  adding,  if  it  seem  necessa- 
ry to  settle  the  earth  about  the  seed,  a  gentle  pressure  with 
the  back  of  the  rake,  or  by  means  of  a  board,  which  may  be 
laid  over  it  and  pressed  with  the  foot ;  but  in  experienced 
hands  a  slight  beating  with  the  back  of  the  rake  will  be  the 
quickest  mode.  Or  the  seed  may  be  sown  broadcast,  being 
thinly  scattered  over  the  ground  and  thoroughly  raked  in.  If 
the  weather  be  dry  when  you  sow,  water  lightly  each  evening 
until  the  seed  sprouts,  and  continue  it  afterward  if  it  seem 
needful. 

Sow  ash  compost  or  poudrette  upon  them  at  least  twice  dur- 
ing their  growth,  or  water  occasionally  with  liquid  manure, 
and,  if  sown  in  drills,  hoe  carefully  between  them.  Radishes 
may  be  sown  at  intervals  of  one  or  two  weeks,  from  the  earliest 
opening  of  spring  until  late  fall,  and  at  the  far  South  through 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  175 

"  the  winter  months ;"  but,  unless  the  season  be  peculiar,  or 
great  care  be  used,  the  summer  crops  will  not  be  good. 

From  the  brief  but  sufficient  directions  thus  given,  it  would 
seem  easy  to  raise  good  radishes,  yet,  if  we  except  a  part  of 
those  brought  to  city  markets,  such  are  exceedingly  rare.  Any 
cause  that  checks  the  growth  of  a  radish  destroys  its  quality. 
This  cause  may  be  the  poverty  of  the  soil,  its  natural  unsuit- 
ableness,  as  being  heavy  or  cold,  or  having  some  special  defect ; 
or  it  may  be  the  occurrence  of  cold  weather  after  the  crop  has 
well  started  to  grow,  or  the  prevalence  of  summer  heat.  Either 
of  these  causes  may  suffice  to  account  for  strong,  unpleasant 
roots.  Radishes  thus  checked  in  their  growth  are  almost  in- 
variably infested  with  worms,  which  are  a  consequence,  and 
not,  as  sometimes  supposed,  the  cause  of  their  check. 

If  the  seed  sown  be  of  inferior  stock,  the  radishes  will  be 
strong  and  stringy,  and  the  eating  of  them  will  be  like  chew- 
ing small,  tough  sticks.  But  to  have  good  radishes,  if  seed  of 
good  stock  be  sown,  it  is  only  necessary  that  they  grow  steadily 
and  rapidly,  be  pulled  as  soon  as  they  attain  a  fair  size,  and 
eaten  while  fresh  from  the  garden. 

From  what  has  been  said,  it  is  plain  that  a  light  and  rather 
sandy  soil  is  to  be  chosen  for  radishes.  Where  this  can  be 
made  artificially  (see  Mechanical  Preparation  of  Soil,  p.  18), 
radishes  of  any  kind  may  be  sown ;  but  where  experience  has 
proved  that  the  long  radish  will  not  succeed,  the  turnip  radish 
only  should  be  sown,  avoiding  any  attempt  to  raise  very  early 
crops,  and  giving  the  ground  careful  preparation  and  thorough 
manuring. 

Radishes  are  often  combined  with  other  crops  calculated  to 
succeed  them,  as  lettuces,  or  beets,  or  early  cabbages ;  but,  un- 
less land  is  very  valuable,  or  manure  scarce,  it  is  not  worth 
while  to  adopt  this  mode.  (See  Combination  of  Crops,  p.  85.) 

RAPE  OR  COLEWORT. 

French,  Colza. — German,  Repskokl. — Spanish,  Nabo  Silvestre. 

Both  the  plant  and  seed  of  rape  resemble  the  brown  mus- 
tard. It  is  sometimes  called  cole,  or  colewort,  from  its  French 
name,  colza.  It  is  often  sown  thickly  in  drills  a  foot  apart, 


176  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

and  cut  for  greens  when  six  or  eight  inches  high.  See  Greens, 
page  143.  Cabbages  of  various  kinds  being  sometimes  sown 
in  the  same  manner  and  for  the  same  purpose,  all  young  non- 
heading  early  cabbages  have  come  to  be  called  "  cole  worts," 
corrupted  to  "  collards." 

In  certain  sections  the  colewort  is  sown  largely  for  its  seeds, 
on  account  of  the  oil  they  yield,  and  for  feeding  to  birds. 

ROQUETTE. 
See  Pepper-grass,  page  166. 

SAGE. 

French,  Sauge. — German,  Salbey. — Spanish,  Salvia. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  in  a  shallow  drill,  in  rich  soil.  Cover  lightly,  and  if 
dry,  give  water.  When  the  plants  are  from  two  to  four  inches 
high,  transplant  and  set  them  in  a  bed  or  in  rows  a  foot  apart 
each  way,  and  keep  clean. 

Time  :  in  all  spring. 

Sage  is  used  largely  in  sausages,  and  for  various  purposes  in 
cookery.  It  is  also  used  in  medicine,  and  formerly  its  virtues 
were  so  highly  esteemed  that  it  passed  into  a  proverb,  "  Why 
should  a  man  die  who  has  sage  in  his  garden  ?"  The  moderns 
do  not  think  so  highly  of  it,  but  it  is  still  used  in  the  form  of 
sage-tea  as  a  drink,  and  with  alum  as  a  gargle. 

Sow  the  seed  and  transplant  as  above  directed.  Cut  and 
dry  the  leaf  for  use  when  at  full  size,  which  will  generally  be 
after  mid-autumn,  taking  care  not  to  trim  the  plant  too  closely. 

SALSAFY  (or  Vegetable  Oyster). 
French,  Salsafis. — German,  Bocksbart. — Spanish,  Ostra  o  Ostion  vejetal 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  the  seed  in  rich,  well-prepared  soil,  in  drills  fifteen  to 
eighteen  inches  apart,  and  an  inch  deep ;  cover  it  carefully,  and 
press  the  earth  lightly  upon  it,  and  when  well  up,  thin  the 
plants  to  four  or  five  inches  apart,  and  hoe  and  weed  often,  un- 
til the  tops  meet  across  the  rows. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  177 

Time :  late  spring  or  beginning  of  summer  at  the  North ; 
at  the  South  in  early  fall ;  and  in  the  far  South  it  may  also 
be  sown  with  the  very  earliest  spring  crops  for  summer  use. 

At  New  York  in  all  May  or  beginning  of  June. 

The  salsafy  has  rather  a  narrow,  flag-like  leaf,  and  its  root 
resembles  a  small  white  parsnep. 

In  localities  where  veritable  oysters  are  not  readily  obtained, 
it  affords  an  agreeable  substitute.  For  this  purpose,  the  root 
should  be  washed  and  grated,  seasoned  to  taste,  mixed  with 
a  batter  made  of  milk  and  flour,  and  made  light  either  with 
soda  and  cream  of  tartar  or  eggs,  and  fried  with  sweet  fat  in 
small  cakes.  It  is  also  occasionally  used  in  soups,  or  boiled 
and  mashed  as  squash. 

SCORZONERA. 
French,  Scorzonere. — German,  ScorzionerwurzeL — Spanish,  Es$orzonera. 

Sown  and  treated  precisely  as  salsafy,  used  for  the  same 
general  purposes,  and  scarcely  at  all  differing  from  it  except 
in  being  too  bitter  to  use  without  previous  soaking. 

SEA  KALE. 

French,  Chou  Marin. — German,  Meerkohl. — Spanish,  Breton  de  Mar.      Col 

Marina. 

Sow  in  early  spring,  in  rich  soil,  in  a  drill  an  inch  deep, 
and  cover  carefully  and  rather  firmly. 

Keep  the  young  plants  clean  throughout  the  season,  and  in 
the  following  spring  plant  them  out  where  they  are  to  stand, 
in  deep  and  very  rich  soil,  in  rows  four  or  five  feet  wide,  set- 
ting the  plants  eighteen  inches  apart  in  the  row. 

Hoe  often  and  deeply  through  the  season,  and  after  the  tops 
die  in  the  fall,  ridge  up  the  earth  from  the  intervals  over  the 
crowns  of  the  plants  to  a  depth  of  fifteen  or  eighteen  inches. 
In  the  spring  they  will  push  up  through  this  ridge  a  tender, 
white,  fleshy  growth,  which  may  be  cut  near  the  crown  of  the 
plant  by  opening  the  side  of  the  ridge,  or  removing  it  entirely 
from  the  plants  you  gather.  These  branched  stems  are  cooked 
and  eaten  as  asparagus. 

H2 


178  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

When  the  spring  cutting  is  completed,  having  leveled  down 
the  ridges,  manure  the  intervals,  and  cultivate  as  before,  to  give 
it  vigor  for  the  next  year's  taxing. 

It  is  sometimes  planted  in  rows  or  hills  only  eighteen  inches 
or  two  feet  apart  each  way,  and,  instead  of  being  ridged,  the 
crowns  are  slightly  covered  for  winter,  and  in  the  spring  earth- 
en pots,  known  as  "  sea-kale  pots,"  about  fifteen  inches  deep 
and  twelve  inches  diameter,  are  placed  over  it  to  force  and 
blanch  it,  which  sometimes,  also,  are  surrounded  with  stable 
manure  to  hasten  the  process.  These  pots  have  a  hole  in  what 
would  ordinarily  be  called  the  bottom,  but  which,  as  inverted, 
is  the  top,  large  enough  to  admit  the  hand  for  cutting  the 
crop,  to  which  a  knobbed  cover,  like  the  cover  of  a  water-jar, 
is  fitted  by  the  potter. 

Like  asparagus,  sea  kale  is  a  maritime  plant,  and  is,  by  some 
persons,  very  highly  esteemed  as  a  delicacy ;  but  a  large  major- 
ity would  justly  conclude  that  "it  costs  more  than  it  comes  to." 

SHALLOTS. 

French,  Echalote. — German,  Schalotte. — Spanish,  Chalote. 

Plant  the  sets,  from  early  fall  to  winter,  in  very  rich  soil 
about  three  inches  deep,  in  rows  fifteen  inches  wide,  and  about 
six  inches  apart  in  the  row.  Hoe  often  and  deeply,  and  keep 
perfectly  clean.  As  early  in  the  spring  as  practicable,  hoe 
deeply,  and  top-dress  once  with  poudrette,  or  guauo,  or  liquid 
manure,  and  pull  them  as  soon  as  sufficiently  grown  for  use. 

The  shallot  is  a  well-known  kind  of  onion,  which  increases 
largely  by  offsets  from  the  root,  used  chiefly  at  the  very  open- 
ing of  spring,  being  the  earliest  of  the  onion  kind  that  appears 
in  the  green  state  in  market. 

SOREL. 

French,  Oseilk.— German,  Sauerampfer. — Spanish,  Acedera. 

The  French  or  garden  sorel  is  a  perennial  plant,  with  leaves 
as  large  as  those  of  the  yellow  dock,  and  of  a  strong,  clear, 
acid  taste.  It  is  raised  from  seed  sown  in  the  spring  in  a 
shallow  drill,  and  a  few  plants  may  be  set  out  where  they  can 
stand  permanently  and  be  out  of  the  way. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  179 

It  will  be  esteemed  by  those  who  fancy  salads  made  up  in 
the  modes  of  Paris,  or  Madrid,  or  Vienna ;  but,  after  all,  it  is 
simply  the  "  sour-grass"  of  our  boyhood. 

SPINACH. 

French,  Epinard. — German,  Spinal.     Spinal  Kohl. — Spanish,  Espinaca. 

PRICKLY  (SEEDED).  ROUND  (SEEDED)  OR  SAVOY. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  in  shallow  drills  twelve  inches  apart.  Cover  lightly, 
and  if  dry,  give  water.  Keep  clean,  and  spread  straw  or  ever- 
green brush  thinly  over  it  for  the  winter. 

Time  :  earliest  fall  or  first  of  spring  at  the  North.  Through- 
out the  fall  or  at  the  opening  of  spring  at  the  South  general- 
ly. At  the  extreme  South,  throughout  the  "  winter  months" 
also.  In  New  York,  September  and  March. 

Spinach  is  the  first  green  vegetable  that  spring  yields  for 
cooking,  affording  a  pleasant  and  wholesome  dish  at  a  season 
when  nothing  remains  of  our  last  year's  store  but  roots  and 
winter  cabbage.  Many  persons  esteem  it  very  highly  for 
greens,  while  some  think  it  but  little  superior  to  the  common 
dock  leaf.  It  comes,  however,  earlier  than  the  latter,  and  has 
therefore  an  advantage  in  point  of  time,  if  not  in  quality. 

There  are  several  varieties,  but  the  round  seeded  Savoy  spin- 
ach, having  a  thick,  crum.pled  leaf,  is  the  best  for  ordinary  use. 
It  should  be  sown  in  rows  as  above  directed,  and  if  sown  in  the 
fall,  hardy  cabbage  lettuce  may  be  profitably  sown  in  alternate 
rows  between  it,  which  will  winter  with  the  same  slight  cover- 
ing, and  may  either  be  transplanted  at  the  opening  of  spring 
for  very  early  heading,  or  cultivated  where  it  stands  after  the 
spinach  is  cut. 

NEW  ZEALAND   SPINACH. 

The  New  Zealand  spinach,  Tetragona  expansa,  is  a  rather 
coarse  summer  "  green,"  not  particularly  desirable  where  the 
ordinary  green  vegetables  are  attainable,  but  may.  be  of  value 
in  very  warm  climates. 


180  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

Jt  may  be  planted  in  all  spring,  in  hills  three  feet  apart,  in 
very  rich  soil,  five  or  six  seeds  in  a  hill,  and  must  be  kept  clean 
by  frequent  hoeings,  drawing  up  the  earth  from  time  to  time 
so  as  to  form  a  pretty  large  flattish  hill,  over  which  the  plants 
will  throw  their  strong  luxuriant  growth,  from  which  the  leaves 
for  cooking  may  be  gathered  throughout  the  summer. 

SQUASHES. 
.  i     SQUASH  (SUMMER). 

French,  Giraumon.     Courge. — German,  Melonen  Kurbis. — Spanish,  Especie 
de  la  Calabaza. 

BERGEN  BUSH.      WHITE  SCOLLOP.      EARLY  GOLDEN.      SUMMER 
CROOKNECK. 

For  Squash  Bug,  &c.,  see  Fig.  65,  page  102. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Plant  in  very  rich  warm  soil,  in  hills  four  to  six  feet  apart, 
six  or  eight  seeds  in  a  hill,  an  inch  deep.  When  well  up,  thin 
to  the  three  best  plants.  Hoe  often,  and  gradually  hill  up  till 
the  blossoms  open. 

Time  :  throughout  the  time  of  corn-planting  South  or  North. 

At  New  York  in  all  May  or  early  in  June. 

The  Bergen  squash  is  the  best  of  all  bush  squashes,  and  may 
be  advantageously  substituted  for  all  summer  squashes,  wheth- 
er bush  or  running,  and  perhaps  also  for  all  winter  squashes, 
except  the  cocoanut,  or  Porter's  winter. 

It  is  a  heart-shaped  green  and  white  squash,  of  medium  size, 
and  in  rich  soil  a  good  cropper,  coming  as  early  as  any,  and 
continuing  as  long  in  bearing. 

Even  while  the  shell  is  soft,  it  is  superior  to  the  white  or 
golden  scollop,  but  it  is  not  in  perfection  until  the  shell  begins 
to  harden  considerably,  when  it  becomes  dry  and  rich  beyond 
any  other  summer  variety. 

The  white  and  golden  scollop,  the  summer  crooknecks,  and 
the  various  fancy  varieties,  have  their  merits,  but  none  of  them 
combine  so  many  desirable  qualities  as  the  Bergen,  which,  as 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  181 

before  stated,  if  planted  rather  late,  may  be  kept  for  winter, 
care  being  taken  to  use  the  soft-shelled  ones  first. 

.    SQXTASH  (WINTER). 

COCOANUT,  OB  PORTER'S  WINTER.   WINTER  BELL.   CANADA 
CROOKNECK,  &C. 

BRIEF    DIRECTIONS. 

Plant  and  tend  in  the  manner  above  directed  for  summer 
squash,  but  at  greater  distances,  say  from  six  to  ten  feet  apart. 
Time:  in  the  time  of  main  corn-planting  South  or  North. 
At  New  York  in  all  May. 

The  winter  bell  and  Canada  crookneck  squashes  are  very 
good  varieties,  the  latter  especially  yielding  abundantly. 

The  cocoa-nut,  or  Porter's  winter  squash,  is  the  best  of  all 
known  squashes.  Its  vines,  however,  run  amazingly,  and,  un- 
less very  highly  cultivated,  it  is  rather  less  productive  in 
northern  latitudes  than  other  varieties.  It  is  sometimes  called 
the  Valparaiso  squash,  and  oftener  Porter's,  because  originally 
introduced  from  that  place  by  the  late  Commodore  Porter.  Its 
other  and  prevailing  name  is  derived  from  the  form  of  the  fruit, 
which  somewhat  resembles  a  cocoanut  with  the  husk  on.  It 
has  a  roughish  coat  of  a  gray  or  stone  color. 

The  flesh,  which  is  not  very  thick,  is  of  a  deep  annatto 
orange  color,  and  extremely  rich  and  dry. 

Squashes  that  are  to  be  kept  for  winter  use  should  be  treat- 
ed as  directed  for  pumpkins,  page  172. 

SUMMER  SAVORY. 

French,  Sariette  d*et'e. — German,  Saturei.     Bohne  Kreitchen. — Spanish, 
Ajedrea. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  in  very  shallow  drills  or  upon  the  fresh  surface,  in  rows 
twelve  inches  apart,  in  rich  light  soil.  Cover  lightly,  and  if 
dry,  give  water.  Thin  the  plants  to  three  inches  distance,  and 
keep  clean. 

Time  :  throughout  spring  at  the  North.     At  the  South,  ei- 


182  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

ther  at  the  opening  of  spring  or  early  in  the  fall.     At  New 
York  from  March  to  July. 

It  should  be  cut  for  drying  soon  after  it  begins  to  blossom. 

SWEET  BASIL. 

French,  Basilic. — German,  Basilikum. — Spanish,  Albahaca. 

SWEET  MARJORAM. 

French,  Marjolaine. — German,  Marjoran. — Spanish,  Mejorana. 

These  are  two  aromatic  herbs,  used  in  cookery  for  seasoning, 
-and  may  be  sown  and  treated  in  all  respects  as  summer  savory. 
See  above. 

SWEET  POTATO. 

French,  Patate  Sucrt.    Patate  Douce.    Patate  Malaga. — German,  Bataten. 
Suesze  Kartoffd. — Spanish,  Battatas. 

Sweet  potatoes  are  raised  from  sets.  These  are  either  small 
potatoes,  raised  for  this  purpose  from  summer  cuttings  of  the 
vines  in  the  previous  year,  or  the  cullings  of  the  general  crop 
carefully  wintered  in  dry  sand,  etc.,  or  the  young  shoots  of 
large  or  small  wintered  tubers,  started  at  the  opening  of  spring 
in  a  hot  bed  or  box  to  furnish  sets  for  the  season. 

When  four  or  five  inches  long  the  shoots  are  ready  for  plant- 
ing, and  should  be  carefully  taken  off  and  set  out  as  they  suc- 
cessively attain  this  size. 

Rich,  warm,  and,  if  possible,  sandy  soil  must  be  chosen,  and 
about  the  time  of  corn-planting  the  hills  should  be  carefully 
prepared,  at  four  feet  apart  each  way,  raising  them  slightly, 
and  mixing  in  plenty  of  rich  compost,  unless  the  whole  has 
been  well  manured.  About  the  time  of  the  first  corn-hoeing 
plant  three  or  four  sets  in  each  hill,  covering  them  three  inches 
deep  if  small  or  cut  tubers  are  planted,  and  if  the  young  shoots 
are  used  let  their  points  just  appear  above  ground,  and  press 
the  earth  gently  about  their  lower  ends ;  or  set  them  eighteen 
inches  apart,  in  rows  three  feet  wide. 

Protect  them  a  while  from  either  cold  or  sun  if  it  appears 
necessary,  and  keep  them  perfectly  clean  and  frequently  hoed, 
dressing  them  once  or  twice  with  plaster  or  ash  compost,  grad- 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  183 

ually  enlarging  the  hill  or  ridge  until  the  growth  of  their  vines 
prevents  farther  work  among  them. 

When  perfectly  ripened  and  carefully  dried  after  digging, 
they  may  be  stored  in  dry  sand  with  safety  for  winter  use. 

In  the  field  culture  of  sweet  potatoes  the  land  is  prepared 
and  the  hills  or  ridges  made  and  cultivated  with  the  plow. 

THYME. 

French,  Thym. — German,  Thimian. — Spanish,  Tornillo. 

Sow  in  rows  a  foot  wide  upon  the  surface  of  finely- prepared, 
rich  soil,  and  water  moderately  until  the  plants  come  up. 
When  two  or  three  inches  high,  thin  or  transplant  to  six 
inches  apart,  and  keep  perfectly  clean. 

Time  :  spring  at  the  North  ;  spring  or  fall  at  the  South. 

This  is  a  pleasant  and  valuable  herb,  used  for  seasoning 
stews,  poultry,  etc.  It  should  be  cut  for  drying  as  soon  as  it 
begins  to  blossom,  or  before  frost  if  sown  too  late  to  blossom. 

TOMATO. 

French,  Tomate. — German,  Liebes  Apfel. — Spanish,  Tomato. 

LARGE  CRUMPLED.   APPLE.   PEAR.   CHERRY.   GRAPE. 

Either  Red  or  Yellow. 

BRIEF   DIRECTIONS. 

Set  the  plants  eighteen  inches  apart,  in  rows  two  feet  wide,  or 
in  hills  three  feet  apart,  in  light,  warm  soil,  not  very  rich,  and 
plow  or  hoe  deeply  from  time  to  time  till  the  tops  interfere. 

Time :  sow  in  hot  bed  from  six  to  eight  weeks  before  main 
corn-planting,  when  the  plants  may  be  set  out  or  the  seed 
sown  in  the  open  ground  either  South  or  North. 

At  New  York,  March  in  hot  bed ;  May  in  open  ground,  to 
sow  or  set  out. 

All  the  above  varieties  are  named  from  their  general  size 
and  appearance,  and  of  each  there  is  a  red  and  a  yellow  variety. 
The  red  are  generally  preferred  for  cooking,  and  the  yellow  for 
preserves.  All  the  varieties  bear  abundantly,  though  perhaps 
the  large  crumpled  kind  is  the  most  prolific.  For  all  ordinary 


184  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

purposes,  the  apple  or  large  smooth  merits  a  decided  preference. 
The  cherry  and  grape  varieties  are  pretty,  but  not  otherwise 
valuable. 

It  is  quite  desirable  to  sow  tomatoes  early  in  hot  bed,  or  in 
a  box  of  good  earth  in  the  house  if  a  hot  bed  is  not  made ;  but 
if  not  thus  provided,  they  may  be  sown  somewhat  later,  with- 
out artificial  heat,  in  a  warm,  rich  spot,  the  seed  being  lightly 
covered,  regularly  watered  with  water  that  is  slightly  warmed 
in  the  sun  or  in  the  house,  and  at  night  covered  with  a  cloth, 
or  mat,  or  box,  until  the  weather  becomes  definitely  warm.  As 
soon  as  the  plants  are  then  ready,  let  them  be  carefully  set  out 
in  rows  two  feet  wide,  and  eighteen  inches  apart  in  the  row,  in 
light,  warm  soil,  not  made  too  rich,  and  either  furnished  with 
brush  to  climb  upon  or  left  to  spread  upon  the  ground,  hoeing 
them  often  and  deeply,  gradually  hilling  them  up  until  the 
tops  spread  so  as  to  prevent  it. 

If  very  early  tomatoes  are  desired,  the  plants  should  be  pot- 
ted as  directed  page  87  ;  in  about  a  fortnight  change  them 
into  larger,  say  quart  pots,  and  by  the  time  it  is  safe  to  set 
them  out  they  will  be  ready  to  come  into  blossom.  If  skill- 
fully transferred  from  the  pot  to  the  hill,  and,  in  case  of  un- 
expected cold,  covered  with  pots  or  boxes,  they  will  be  scarcely 
at  all  checked  in  their  growth  by  the  change,  and  will  quickly 
mature  their  fruit.  In  this,  however,  they  may  be  aided  by 
nipping  the  ends  of  the  main  shoots,  limiting  the  growth  of 
side  shoots,  and  exposing  the  fruit  to  the  sun. 

Where  tomatoes  are  raised  in  large  quantities  the  ground 
may  be  prepared  and  furrowed  as  for  corn,  at  three  feet  apart 
each  way,  two  or  three  plants  being  set  in  each  hill.  All  their 
necessary  culture  may  also  be  performed  by  repeated  and  care- 
ful cross-plowings,  following  each  by  a  slight  hilling  up  with 
the  hoe,  and  pulling  out  by  hand  any  weeds  that  may  be  found 
too  close  to  the  plants  to  cut,  and  too  large  to  cover  in  the 
hoeing. 

All  the  varieties  of  tomato  may  be  taken  while  green  and 
kept  in  brine,  or  salted,  for  making  up  into  pickles  in  the  ordi- 
nary modes,  as  they  are  wanted  through  the  year. 

Tomato  catsup  is  made  by  boiling  the  ripe  fruit  to  a  pulp, 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN.  185 

which  is  then  strained  through  a  sieve  that  will  keep  out  the 
skins  and  seeds  ;  and  after  being  again  thoroughly  boiled,  re- 
ducing it  somewhat,  adding  salt  and  spice  according  to  taste, 
it  is  cooled  and  bottled  for  use. 

Either  the  apple  or  pear  tomatoes  make  a  pleasant  preserve 
for  immediate  use,  or  for  keeping  if  put  in  preserving  cans. 
For  this  purpose,  the  fruit  may  be  taken  while  green,  or  when 
about  three  fourths  ripe.  If  the  latter,  boiling  water  is  poured 
over  them,  and  the  skins  are  carefully  taken  off;  if  the  former, 
the  skins  are  left  on.  Having  the  fruit  prepared,  add  to  each 
three  pounds  of  it  two  quarts  of  water,  one  and  a  half  pounds 
of  sugar,  one  good-sized  lemon,  sliced,  or  a  quarter  ounce  of 
green  ginger,  or  both,  and  boil  slowly  till  the  sirup  thickens. 

To  make  what  are  known  as  "  tomato  figs,"  take  the  pear- 
shaped  variety  when  nearly,  but  not  quite  ripe,  and  boil  them 
as  above  directed  for  preserves,  with  the  water,  and  sugar,  and 
lemon  or  green  ginger  in  the  same  proportions.  When  suffi- 
ciently boiled,  take  the  tomatoes  out  of  the  sirup,  and  lay 
them  singly  upon  flat  dishes,  and  place  them  in  the  sun ;  when 
partially  dried,  sprinkle  finely-crushed  sugar  thinly  over  them, 
turning  and  sugaring  them  daily  until  they  are  sufficiently 
dried ;  or,  if  difficulty  arises  from  bad  weather,  the  drying 
may  be  completed  in  an  oven  at  a  low  heat.  They  may  then 
be  packed,  and  pressed  closely  into  boxes  lined  with  white 
paper,  and,  if  thought  needful,  more  sugar  may  be  added. 

For  winter  use,  the  ripe  tomatoes  may  be  stewed,  and  simply 
salted  or  fully  seasoned,  and  kept  in  patent  fruit-cans  in  the 
usual  mode  until  wanted,  when  they  are  to  be  stewed  afresh, 
and  seasoned  anew  if  desired. 

TURNIP. 

French,  Navtt.—  German,  Rube.     Steckriibe. — Spanish,  Nabo. 

EARLY  RED-TOP.  EARLY  DUTCH.  EARLY  STONE.  LONG,  OR 
TANKARD.  YELLOW  ABERDEEN.  YELLOW  GLOBE.  RUS- 
SIA, OR  RUTA  BAGA. 

BRIEF    DIRECTIONS. 

Sow  in  shallow  drills,  twelve  inches  apart.     Cover  lightly, 


186 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


and  if  dry,  give  water.  In  garden  culture  hoe  them  at  least 
once,  thinning  the  plants  to  four  or  six  inches. 

Time  :  at  the  very  earliest  moment  of  spring  if  intended  for 
summer  use.  If  for  winter,  as  late  in  the  fall  as  possible,  so 
that  about  eight  weeks  of  cool  moist  weather  may  be  allowed 
for  their  growth,  or  for  ruta  baga  twelve  weeks.  If  they  are 
not  hoed  during  their  growth,  they  will  require  a  little  longer 
time  to  mature. 

At  New  York,  common  turnips  may  be  sown  in  March  for 
summer,  and  August  for  winter  use ;  ruta  baga  in  June  or 
first  half  of  July. 

FORMS   OF  TURNIPS. 
Fig.  80. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  187 

a.  Uncouth  form,  Dale's  hybrid  Turnip.         /.  Globe-formed  Turnip. 

b.  Egg-formed  Kuta  Baga.  g.  Cheese- formed  Turnip,  or  a  "flattened 

c.  Worthless  Jiuta  Baga,  long-necked  and  spheroid." 

branch-rooted.  h.  Flat-formed  Turnip. 

d.  Inferior  heart-shaped  Turnip.  i.  Double  concave  form,  as  yellow  Malta. 

e.  Superior  heart-shaped  Turnip. 

Of  the  kinds  named  above,  the  early  red- top,  sometimes  call- 
ed purple-top,  the  Aberdeen,  and  the  Russia,  or  ruta  baga, 
will  meet  all  the  ordinary  demands  of  a  family.  The  early 
Dutch  and  stone  are  good  varieties,  and  with  some  persons  the 
long,  or  tankard,  recently  sometimes  called  French,  is  a  favor- 
ite ;  but  the  red-top  is  of  the  freest  growth  and  of  the  best 
quality  of  white  turnips,  and  will  supply  the  table  for  summer 
use,  and  from  early  fall  until  New  Year.  The  yellow  globe,  or 
Aberdeen,  may  succeed  it  until  late  in  March,  after  which  the 
Russia  alone  may  be  used  until  new  vegetables  come  in. 

Common  turnips  may  be  sown  in  drills  from  twelve  to  eight- 
Neen  inches  apart,  or  broadcast  upon  fine,  light,  well-prepared 
soil.  In  either  case  let  the  seed  be  but  lightly  raked  in,  and 
if  the  weather  is  very  dry,  give  water,  using  an  ordinary  rose 
watering-pot.  When  sown  very  early  or  very  late,  water  them 
occasionally  in  the  course  of  their  growth  with  liquid  manure, 
or  top-dress  them  with  ash  compost  or  some  other  stimulating 
application ;  hoe  repeatedly,  and  thin  them  carefully  to  three 
or  four  inches  apart. 

With  this  treatment,  the  early  kinds  sometimes  furnish  good 
roots  before  the  summer  heat  spoils  them,  or  succeed  well  for 
winter  use,  though  sown  even  as  late  as  the  beginning  of  Sep- 
tember. 

In  moist  and  misty  climates  turnips  may  be  sown  to  advant- 
age in  early  spring,  but  in  our  climate  it  is  seldom  that  spring- 
sown  turnips  are  fit  to  eat.  In  general,  they  serve  only  for 
flavoring  summer  soup. 

Russia  turnip,  or  ruta  baga,  when  sown  in  the  garden  and 
intended  for  family  use,  should  not  be  sown  earlier  than  from 
the  first  to  the  middle  of  July  at  New  York  and  the  North 
generally — say  from  two  to  four  weeks  earlier  than  the  fall 
sowing  of  the  common  kinds,  and  should  always  be  sown  in 
drills,  and  carefully  hastened  in  its  growth  by  hoeing  and  top- 
dressing.  See  also  Turnip  Bug,  page  102. 


188 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 


WATER  CRESS. 

French,  Cresson  de  Fontaine.  —  German,  Wasser  Kresse.     Brunen  Kresse.  — 
Spanish,  Berro. 

The  water  cress  may  be  raised  from  seed,  cuttings,  or  plants, 
sown  or  planted  in  the  edge  of  a  living  spring  or  stream,  where 
its  roots  may  be  ever  so  slightly  protected  by  the  water  from 
the  intense  cold  ;  or  it  may  be  sown  or  set  in  the  narrow  in- 
tervals of  a  floor  or  bed  made  with  rough  paving  stones,,  over 
which  a  gentle  shallow  stream  is  made  to  flow.  North  of  New 
York  it  may  be  thinly  covered  in  winter,  if  found  necessary, 
with  straw,  or  salt  hay,  or  evergreen  brush. 

It  starts  at  the  first  opening  of  spring,  and  being  gathered 
as  soon  as  sufliciently  grown,  is  the  earliest  warm  aromatic 
salad  seen  in  our  markets. 

It  is  highly  esteemed,  being  not  only  agreeable  to  the  taste 
of  most  persons,  but  also  regarded  as  a  valuable  antiscorbutic, 
peculiarly  suitable  for  spring  use. 

The  brooklime  (Veronica  Beccabunga),  a  worthless  plant, 
distinguishable  by  its  ovate  and  flat  leaf  from  the  water  cress, 
is  sometimes  mistaken  for  it. 


ASSORTMENT  OF  SEEDS,  ABOUT  SUFFICIENT  FOR  A  GARDEN  OF 
MODERATE  SIZE,  SAY  A  QUARTER  OF  AN  ACRE. 

As  garden  seeds  are  extensively  sold  in  "  papers,"  I  have 
given  the  ordinary  equivalents  of  the  respective  weights  and 
measures.  It  may  be  found  occasionally  useful  to  beginners. 


Bush  Beans  of  various 

kinds 3  pints=  6  papers. 

Pole   Beans    of   various 

kinds 2     "    =  6       " 

Early    Peas   of  various 

kinds 5     "    =W       " 

Late  Peas,  various  kinds  3    "    =  6      " 
Cucumbers        "         . . .  1  oz.  =  2       " 

Muskmelon f  "    =  1       " 

Watermelon }  "    =  1       " 

Summer  bush  Squash .     1     "    =2       " 
Winter  "      . .       i        =  1      " 

Pumpkin |         =1       " 

Early  Cabbage i 

Winter     "       |         =  2       " 

Cauliflower,  or  Brocoli.  i 
Beets  of  various  kinds.  2 
Carrots  "  "  .  1 
Parsnip  "  "  .  1 
Turnips  "  "  .  1 
Kadish  in  varieties 3  =6 


" 


Onion  in  varieties 2   oz.  =  4  papers. 

Onion  sets 1  pint. 

Lettuce  in  varieties i  oz.  =  2      " 

Spinach 2     "    z=  4      " 

Dock ^         =1       " 

Celery i        =1      " 

Pepper i        =1      " 

Egg-plant i        =1 

Tomato i         =  I 

Salsafy i         —2 

Okra I         =1 

Mustard 1  =2 

Peppergrass 1  ^-2 

Nasturtium \         =1 

Leek *         =1 

Parsley i         =1 

Sage 1 

Summer  Savory 1 

Sweet  Basil 1 

Sweet  Marjoram 1 

Thyme 1 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  189 


CHAPTER 

Fruits. — Effect  of  Soil,  Climate. — Shape  of,  Color,  Flavor,  Specific  Gravity. 
— Fruit-trees  ;  selecting  Varieties,  bearing  Qualities,  new  Kinds. 

FRUITS. 

"  Good  for  food,  and  pleasant  to  the  eyes." 

FRUITS  always  commend  themselves  to  the  natural  taste,  and 
their  free  use  in  the  ripe  state,  whether  raw  or  cooked,  is  pleas- 
ant, economical,  and  highly  conducive  to  health.  In  some 
fruits  a  simple  statement  of  the  grade  of  their  quality  is  suffi- 
cient ;  but  in  several  of  the  more  important  classes,  as  apples 
and  pears,  there  are  general  divisions  which  it  is  important  to 
notice,  as  summer  and  winter  fruits,  sweet,  subacid,  vinous,  sour, 
melting,  buttery,  firm,  mealy,  gritty,  &c. ;  and  in  plums  and 
peaches,  clings  or  freestones.  Various  persons  prefer  fruit  with 
one  or  other  of  these  peculiarities,  according  to  diversity  of  taste, 
or  for  special  seasons  or  uses :  melting,  buttery,  subacid  or  sweet, 
and  freestone  fruits  for  eating  out  of  hand ;  clingstone,  sour,  and 
firm  fruits  for  preserving — the  sweet  fruits  preserved  or  stewed 
being  usually  flat,  though  occasionally  a  subacid  fruit  is  found 
which,  with  little  sugar,  is  yet  lively,  the  acid  developing  with 
the  process  of  cooking  ;  as  also  sour  fruit,  when  cooked,  is  more 
acid  than  when  raw. 

Most  of  these  peculiarities  in  fruits  are  modified  by  various 
causes,  as  soil,  climate,  &c.,  in  some  cases  deteriorating  good 
kinds  till  they  become  almost  worthless. 

EFFECT   OF   SOIL. 

A  wet  and  cold  soil,  whether  it  be  poor  or  rich,  tends  to  in- 
crease the  rough  acidity  of  fruits ;  a  warm,  dry  soil,  on  the 
other  hand,  naturally  heightens  the  flavor,  and  limits  and  re- 
fines the  acidity. 

Fruits  raised  in  very  rich  soil,  other  things  being  equal,  are 


190  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEX. 

larger,  but  less  rich,  both  in  flavor  and  saccharum,  than  the 
same  fruits  raised  with  less  luxuriance  of  growth  on  poorer 
soil.  Our  Western  apples  are  beautiful  in  appearance,  but  do 
not  command  the  price  of  those  raised  upon  the  hills  that  bor- 
der the  Hudson,  either  in  domestic  or  foreign  markets.  The 
vineyards  of  the  hills,  and  not  of  the  level  and  fertile  valleys 
of  France,  make  the  richest  qualities  of  wines. 

EFFECT   OF    CLIMATE. 

Speaking  generally,  fruits  gradually  increase  in  richness  and 
variety  as  we  proceed  from  the  north  southward  to  the  tropics. 
But  the  natural  boundaries  of  the  various  families  of  fruits  are 
limited,  having  probably  as  their  centre  a  line  of  perfection,  of 
greater  or  less  width,  for  each  particular  tribe,  which,  as  we  di- 
verge from  that  line,  deteriorates  under  our  hand.  As  an  illus- 
tration merely,  we  may  assume  the  latitude  of  42°  to  be  the 
line  of  perfection  for  the  apple,  38°  or  40°  for  the  pear  and 
cherry,  and  30°  or  35°  for  the  vine.  But  certain  kinds  of  any 
given  class  of  fruits  are  also  better  suited  than  others  to  the 
particular  varieties  of  climate  found  within  these  natural  bound- 
aries, and  we  say  therefore  of  one  apple  it  is  a  Northern,  and 
of  another  it  is  a  Southern  fruit,  and  we  make  lists  of  them  as 
they  are  supposed  to  be  suited  to  the  colder  or  warmer  regions 
of  the  zone  to  which  the  family  belongs. 

We  may  also  conclude  ordinarily  that  the  varieties  of  fruits 
best  suited  to  a  given  region  will  be  those  which  have  origi- 
nated in  it  or  in  some  other  region  of  like  location.  The  New- 
town  pippin,  which  is  the  chief  of  apples  where  it  can  be  prop- 
erly matured,  attains  its  perfection  only  near  the  line  of  lati- 
tude in  which  it  originated,  and  when  exempted  from  the  in- 
fluence of  a  too  cold  or  humid  soil.  The  Rhode  Island  green- 
ing, lively  and  piquant  in  its  proper  latitude,  becomes  flat  and 
worthless  in  a  Southern  climate. 

As  we  fcring  varieties  toward  the  central  line  of  perfection 
from  the  North,  the  influence  of  the  change  of  climate  is  similar 
to  that  of  a  single  particularly  long  and  warm  summer  in  their 
native  region,  or  of  transfer  to  a  warmer  soil,  or  to  a  locality 
where  the  temperature  is  modified  by  a  river  or  body  of  water,  or 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  191 

of  a  system  of  very  open  trimming,  or  of  planting  the  individual 
tree  in  an  especially  warm  exposure,  all  of  which  are  merely 
temporary  or  local  modifications  of  climate.  But  this  change 
for  the  better  in  the  character  of  the  fruit  is  usually  accompa- 
nied by  another  of  a  different  kind.  The  fruit  not  only  ripens 
higher,  but  it  ripens  earlier,  and  as  ripeness  is  always  the  pre- 
cursor of  rottenness,  it  will  not  keep  so  well.  The  Rhode  Isl- 
and greening  and  the  Baldwin,  raised  in  Massachusetts,  are  less 
perishable  "than  the  same  varieties  raised  in  New  Jersey.  It 
is  important  to  take  this  into  account  when  we  are  transferring 
varieties  to  new  localities,  otherwise  we  may  fail  to  secure  in 
the  fruit  the  very  qualities  for  which  we  have  esteemed  it. 

SHAPE   OF   FRUITS. 

The  form  of  fruits  is  seldom  of  much  importance,  but  in  ap- 
ples it  affords  a  general  indication  of  quality.  The  flattened 
and  globular,  and  the  obtuse  conical  forms  are  mostly  pretty 
close  at  the  core,  and  all  the  very  best  varieties  of  apples  be- 
long to  these  forms.  The  long-shaped  apples  have  generally 
large,  open,  "  rattle-box"  cores ;  and  while  many  of  them  are 
distinguished  by  pleasant  peculiarities  of  flavor,  as  the  gilli- 
flower,  there  are  very  few,  if  any,  first-class  fruits  among  them. 
Fruits  of  an  oblique  or  one-sided  form,  as  the  Chandler  (see  p. 
309),  are  apt  to  run  defective  on  the  shrunken  side  in  seasons 
that  may  be  even  but  slightly  unfavorable,  and,  in  general,  all 
fruits  with  an  irregular  or  disproportioned  development  of  form 
are  liable  to  similar  imperfections. 

COLOR. 

Fruits  with  a  large  proportion  of  bright  red,  or  with  at  least 
a  full,  deep  blush  cheek,  or  of  a  deep  golden  yellow  color,  al- 
ways strike  the  eye  as  more  beautiful,  and  find  a  readier  mar- 
ket than  others  of  only  equal  quality  and  less  color. 

FLAYOR. 

Of  the  various  flavors  found  in  fruits  of  the  same  family, 
some  seem  to  be  produced  simply  by  a  happy  combination  of 
clear,  pleasant  acid,  with  a  due  proportion  of  sugar,  and  are 


192  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

abiding,  and  suit  all  palates  ;  others  are  in  the  nature  of  an 
aroma  or  spiciness,  which  is  well  developed  only  in  very  favor- 
able circumstances,  and  in  most  cases  is  so  fugitive  that  it 
must  be  enjoyed  at  the  very  moment  of  perfect  ripening,  or  it 
is  lost,  and  in  reference  to  which  tastes  vary  greatly.  Such 
may  be  chosen  for  special  culture,  but  not  for  the  general  pur- 
poses of  life  or  profits  of  business.  For  the  efiect  of  soil  and 
climate  upon  flavor,  see  those  heads. 

SPECIFIC   GRAVITY. 

Other  things  being  equal,  the  comparative  value  of  any  fruit 
may  be  instantly  determined,  like  the  value  of  gold,  by  its  su- 
perior specific  gravity,  or  "  heft,"  as  we  say  familiarly.  This 
indicates  with  precision  its  richness  in  saccharum,  and  may 
guide  the  manufacturer  of  vinegar  in  his  choice  of  fruits  for 
this  purpose,  though  for  cooking  or  eating  we  need  to  inquire 
farther  as  to  flavor,  &c. 

FRUIT-TREES. 
SELECTING  VARIETIES. 

In  making  a  selection  of  fruits,  choose  mainly  from  such  va- 
rieties as  are  known  to  succeed  in  your  own  locality,  either  as 
having  originated  there  or  become  wonted.  If  you  seek  to  in- 
troduce improved  varieties,  never  depend  on  their  reputation  in 
other  localities,  but  study  their  intrinsic  character.  If  you 
transfer  the  Boston  russet  or  the  Baldwin  to  New  Jersey  or 
Delaware  merely  with  a  view  to  home  consumption,  you  may 
succeed  ;  but  if  with  the  idea  of  raising  apples  for  shipping, 
you  will  be  disappointed.  If,  however,  you  find  in  Canada  or 
New  England  an  apple  of  good  color,  shape,  and  heft,  but  in- 
dicating by  its  excess  of  acid  that  the  season  in  those  latitudes 
is  not  long  enough  to  perfect  it,  you  may  move  it  southward 
with  a  probability  amounting  almost  to  certainty  that  you  will 
obtain  a  valuable  fruit. 

Perhaps  the  general  rule  may  be  expressed  thus :  Fruits 
that  ripen  very  late,  or  do  not  ripen  at  all  in  a  given  latitude, 
will  improve  by  moving  South ;  and  fruits  that  in  a  more 
southerly  location  ripen  early,  may  be  moved  northward  with- 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  193 

out  being  injured.     For  the  mode  of  producing  and  treating 
seedling  fruits,  see  those  heads,  pages  194  and  204. 

There  is  a  difference  in  the  period  of  blossoming  of  different 
varieties  in  the  saine  orchard,  which  is  sometimes  due  to  in- 
herent natural  diversity,  but  often,  also,  is  the  effect  of  climate, 
the  habit  of  the  tree,  formed  in  a  warmer  or  colder  latitude, 
adhering  to  it.  Sometimes  the  season's  crop  is  lost  by  the 
spring  frost  killing  the  too  early  blossoms  of  a  southern  tree, 
and  at  others  injury  is  avoided  and  a  crop  gained  by  the  tardy 
blossoming  of  a  northern  one. 

It  is  sometimes  worth  while  to  choose  kinds  that  may  be 
"readily  identified  by  the  peculiar  appearance  of  the  young 
branches,  as  the  snow  peach  by  its  white  shoots,  the  Napoleon 
pear  by  its  slate  color,  and  the  Dix  by  its  slender  willowy  yel- 
low ones,  and  the  Bergamotte  Suisse  by  its  striped  bark,  with 
which  the  stripes  upon  the  fruit  have  a  general  correspond- 
ence. It  is,  however,  much  more  important  to  attend  to  the 
mode  of  growth  which  distinguishes  eath  particular  variety 
you  propose  to  plant,  as  whether  its  habit  be  erect  or  drooping ; 
whether,  like  the  peach,  it  throw  out  its  branches  at  acute  an-" 
gles,  with  a  weak  joint,  and  is  therefore  liable  to  be  split  by 
winds  or  broken  down  by  its  crop  of  fruit,  or  at  obtuse  angles, 
or  horizontally,  as  the  Rhode  Island  greening  and  Graven- 
stein  among  apples,  and  the  hickory  among  forest  trees,  and  is 
therefore  strong  to  bear  both  wind  and  fruit.  Also,  whether 
it  has  a  habit  of  forming  a  snug,  well- shaped  head,  as  the 
Seckel  or  Lodge  pears,  from  which  the  fruit  may  be  gathered 
easily,  or  long,  straggling,  or  upright  branches,  which  can  not 
be  climbed,  and  can  scarcely  be  reached  by  a  ladder,  and  for 
which  the  fruit-gatherer  becomes  necessary. 

BEARING  QUALITIES. 

Certain  kinds  are  better  bearers  than  others  under  equally 
favorable  circumstances,,  as  among  apples  the  Rhode  Island 
greening  is  superior  in  this  respect  to  the  Pound  sweet  or  the 
Vanderveer.  .Certain  other  varieties  always  bear  heavily,  but 
only  in  alternate  years,  as  the  Jersey  sweeting  and  the  com- 
mon or  Poughkeepsie  russeting.  In  some  trees  the  fruit  spurs, 

I 


194  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

or  bunches  of  blossom  buds  are  thrown  out  from  the  older 
growth,  while  in  other  varieties  the  blossoms  are  produced 
chiefly  from  the  terminal  buds  of  young  shoots,  upon  which,  at 
maturity,  the  fruit  dangles. 

Generally,  the  trees  of  heavy-bearing  varieties  are  not  long 
lived,  being  either  constitutionally  feeble  or  exhausted  by  ex- 
cessive crops,  or  both. 

It  will  be  found  best,  on  the  whole,  to  choose  varieties  that 
bear  moderately,  and  of  which  the  fruit  is  neither  so  small  as 
to  be  tedious  in  the  gathering,  nor  so  large  as  to  expose  it  to 
be  swept  off  by  winds,  though,  in  reference  to  the  russet  and 
Jersey  sweeting  named  above,  special  peculiarities  will  always 
secure  them  a  place  in  the  orchard,  in  spite  of  their  compara- 
tively early  decay.  It  may  also  be  added  that  the  habit  of 
heavy  alternate  bearing  may  be  changed  in  the  youth  of  the 
tree  by  perseveringly  stripping  it  6T  blossoms  in  the  bearing 
year  until  ifris  forced  into  blossoming  moderately  every  season, 
or  only  half  the  tree  may  be  so  disciplined,  or  one  side  may  be 
grafted  with  another  variety  of  diverse  habit. 

PRODUCTION   OF   NEW   FRUITS,  &C. 

From  the  knowledge  we  possess,  it  seems  probable  that  the 
kinds  of  fruit,  as  well  as  individual  trees,  have  but  a  limited 
period  of  healthful  growth  and  productiveness,  and  hence  new 
kinds  become  desirable. 

In  reference  to  fruits,  the  theory  has  been  proposed  that,  in 
attempting  to  raise  improved  varieties  of  fruits  from  seed,  we 
should  select  for  intermixture,  not  individuals  of  the  very 
best  known  varieties,  but  those  of  a  somewhat  inferior  grade 
which  are  in  process  of  amelioration,  thus  running  them,  as 
it  were,  on  an  independent  line  upward  from  the  original  base 
stock. 

This  theory  may  be  good,  but  it  does  not  look  so.  We  may 
assume  that  in  each  family  of  fruits  there  is  a  point  of  excel- 
lence beyond  which  human  skill  in  its  culture  will  not  be  able 
to  carry  it.  If  our  best-known  varieties  have  already  attained 
to  this  perfection  in  their  various  kinds,  the  most  direct  course 
would  seem  to  be  to  reproduce  them  anew  from  seed  as  nearly 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  195 

like  themselves  as  possible.  If  they  have  not  attained  that 
point  they  may  be  still  progressing ;  but  if  they  have  simply 
arrived  at  the  acme  of  their  individual  character,  and  not  con- 
stituting standards  for  their  class,  then  it  becomes  difficult  to 
explain  why  the  incessant  efforts  of  the  last  half  century  have 
not  produced  an  apple  superior  to  the  Newtown  pippin,  a  pear 
as  finely  flavored  as  the  Seckel,  or  a  plum  equal  to  the  old 
green  gage,  whose  seedlings,  raised  haphazard  through  the 
country,  though  inferior  to  their  parent,  yet  occupy  almost 
alone  the  wide  space  lying  between  it  and  all  other  varieties 
of  plum.  My  readers  may  pursue  either  track  at  their  pleas- 
ure. See  Fertilization,  page  74. 


CHAPTER  Xin. 

Propagation  of  Fruit-trees  by  Seeds,  Cuttings,  Layers,  &c. — Various 
Stocks  for  Fruit-trees. 

PROPAGATION  OF  FRUIT-TREES. 
BY  SEEDS. 

See  "  Seedling  Stocks,"  page  204. 

BY   CUTTINGS. 

Currants,  gooseberries,  grape-vines,  and  quinces  are  often 
raised  from  cuttings,  and  it  is  quite  possible  to  raise  apples, 
pears,  and  other  fruits  in  the  same  way. 

Certain  fruit-trees,  as  some  varieties  of  the  apple,  indicate 
a  disposition  to  root  by  pushing  out  bunches  or  ganglions  of 
half-formed  or  inchoate  buds  from  the  plain  body  of  the  stem, 
and  from  these,  in  due  time,  young  shoots  proceed.  Cuttings 
from  such  varieties  strike  readily.  In  certain  circumstances 
a  similar  result  seems  forced,  as  when  the  young  green  growth 
feathers  the  whole  length  of  the  rough  bark  of  the  body  of  a 
felled  pitch-pine,  or  an  equally  unpromising  locust  post  in  a 
lumber-yard. 

It  is.  not,  however,  desirable  to  raise  fruit-trees  in  this  man- 
ner. The  heavier  trees,  when  raised  from  cuttings,  never  make 


196  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

enough  strong  roots  to  hold  them  securely  ;  they  are  generally 
also  much  longer  in  attaining  size  than  those  raised  from  seed, 
or  grafted  on  seedling  stocks. 

Cuttings  of  currants,  gooseberries,  etc.,  are  made  from  one 
or  more  buds  of  the  last  year's  growth,  and  should  not  be  taken 
from  very  near  the  point  of  the  young  shoots,  but  so  far  down 
as  to  secure  some  firmness  in  the  wood,  and  little  pith.  In 
general,  also,  it  is  better  to  take  them  from  the  horizontal 
branches  which  issue  from  near  the  root  than  from  the  central 
upright  growth. 

BUD    CUTTINGS. 

Fig.  81. 


a.  Bud  Cutting  with  sealed  ends. 
fc.  Bud  Cutting  divided  lengthwise. 

A  bud  cutting  consists  of  a  single  bud,  with  an  inch  or  so  of 
the  stem  left  on  each  side  of  it,  which  may  be  sealed  at  the 
ends  with  pitch  or  grafting  composition,  as  Fig.  81  a,  though  this 
is  not  essential ;  or  it  may  be  divided  lengthwise,  as  shown 
above,  Fig.  816.  Three  or  four  of  these  may  be  set,  with  the  bud 
in  position  to  start  upward,  about  an  inch  deep,  around  the  in- 
side edge  of  a  quart  garden-pot  in  rich  earth,  or  each  bud  may 
be  put  singly  into  a  half-pint  pot,  which  is  preferable.  Early 
in  the  season  place  them  in  a  gentle  hot  bed  to  start  them. 
After  they  begin  to  grow  and  the  weather  becomes  warm,  the 
glass  may  be  removed,  and,  if  they  are  carefully  watered  and 
shaded,  it  will  be  safe  to  set  them  out  in  the  open  ground  in 
June,  or  they  can  be  transferred  to  larger  pots,  as  may  be  de- 
sired. Single  bud  cuttings  were  largely  used  some  years  ago 
for  producing  morus  multicaulis,  but  are  now  resorted  to  al- 
most exclusively  for  increasing  rapidly  choice  varieties  of  the 
grape. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 


197 


VI 


BRANCH   CUTTINGS. 
Fig,  82. 

d 


a.  An  ordinary  woody  cutting. 

&.  A  woody  cutting  with  half  an  inch  of  last  year's  wood  at  the  butt. 

c.  A  cutting  slipped  off  from  the  main  stem,  having  the  butt  smoothly  trimmed,  com- 
monly called  a  "  slip." 

d.  A  currant  cutting  with  the  underground  buds  cut  off  at  the  shoulder. 

e.  Cutting  with  its  "  callous"  formed  at  the  butt  preparatory  to  rooting. 
/.  Cutting  with  roots  and  leaves  put  forth,  ready  for  setting  out. 

Branch  cuttings  should  have  five  or  more  buds,  or  three  if 
very  long  jointed,  and  must  be  smoothly  cut  with  a  sharp 
knife  just  below  and  close  by  the  lower  bud  (Fig.  82  a).  If  a 
small  piece  of  the  old  wood  can  be  left  at  the  butt  of  the  cut- 
ting it  will  more  certainly  succeed  (Fig.  82  5).  This  object  is 
equally  secured  by  slipping  off  the  cutting  from  its  main  stem 
and  trimming  it  smoothly,  and  shortening  it  as  in  Fig.  82  c. 

To  prevent  a  habit  of  throwing  up  stem  suckers,  to  which 
currants  and  gooseberries  especially  are  liable,  the  buds  may 
be  cut  off  or  broken  clean  out  with  the  heart  from  that  portion 
of  the  cutting  which  is  covered  in  planting,  leaving  the  bud- 
shoulder  and  bark  of  the  branch  uninjured,  Fig.  82  d.  Fig.  82  e 
and/ show  the  incipient  and  progressive  growth  of  cuttings^  In 
general,  cuttings  should  be  planted  so  as  to  leave  at  discretion 
from  one  to  three  buds  above  ground.  (See  also  p.  438.)  When 


198 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


made  in  the  fall,  they  should  be  very  carefully  planted,  and 
mulched  between  the  rows  late  in  the  season,  which  will  both 
promote  safe  wintering,  and  supply  a  needful  shade  in  spring. 

Cuttings  of  all  kinds,  that  may  have  become  dried  even  to 
shriveling,  may  be  restored  by  carefully  soaking  them  before 
planting,  and  shading  and  watering  afterward. 


LAYERING. 
Fig.  83. 


O.  Layer  sprouts,  the  heavier  one  too  strong  for  layering,  unless  toward  its  extremity. 
6.  Ordinary  layering,  with  the  tongues  cut  too  sharp. 

c.  Ordinary  layering,  with  the  tongues  cut  nearly  upon  the  upper  side  of  the  sprout,  and 

nibbed  close  to  the  bud. 

d.  Common  layering  on  a  heavy  sprout,  rendered  manageable  by  a  cut  on  the  upper  curve. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  199 

Layers  are  properly  branch  cuttings,  planted  without  being 
entirely  severed  from  the  parent  plant,  and,  like  ordinary  branch 
cuttings,  they  are  usually  made  from  sprouts  of  last  year's 
growth.  To  prepare  a  woody  bush  or  plant  for  layering,  let  all 
very  weak,  or  forked,  and  also  overgrown  sprouts  be  cut  away, 
leaving  only  such  as  have  pretty  fully  developed  buds  down  to 
within  six  or  eight  inches  of  the  ground.  If  the  growth  has 
been  so  strong  that  the  buds  upon  a  foot  or  more  of  the  lower 
end  of  the  sprout  are  small  and  obscure,  it  is  seldom  worth 
while  to  layer  it,  unless  it  be  toward  the  middle  or  the  upper 
extremity.  (See  Fig.  83  a.)  The  sprouts  you  propose  to  layer 
must  then  be  trimmed  clear  of  all  side  shoots  and  leaves  as  far 
up  as  it  will  be  requisite  to  bury  them.  Having  the  bush  or 
plant  thus  trimmed,  dig  the  earth  carefully  around  it,  breaking 
it  fine,  and  mixing  rich  mould  with  it,  and  sand  if  the  soil  be 
heavy,  leaving  the  whole,  when  finished,  very  slightly  raised 
above  the  natural  level.  Next,  with  a  shingle  five  or  six 
inches  long,  or  with  the  spade,  make  an  open  slit  in  the  earth 
to  receive  the  layer.  At  such  distance  from  the  butt  of  the 
sprout  as  will  permit  of  its  being  bent  down  into  the  ground, 
which  is  generally  eight  or  ten  inches,  a  cut  is  made  about 
half  through  the  branch,  immediately  below  and  close  to  a  bud, 
and  the  knife  being  then  carefully  turned  upward,  a  slit  is 
made  of  about  an  inch  in  length,  which  is  termed  tongueing  it, 
and  the  tongue,  when  cut,  should  have  its  end  not  thin  and 
sloping  in,  as  shown  in  Fig.  83  Z>,  but  rather  square  or  clubbed, 
as  Fig.  83  c,  for  which  purpose,  if  needful,  it  must  be  nibbed. 

It  is  then  carefully  bent  down,  with  a  slightly  twisting  mo- 
tion in  the  process,  to  prevent  snapping  it  off  and  to  open  it, 
and  being  firmly  pinned  down  with  a  hooked  stick,  Fig.  83  &,  d, 
it  may  be  covered  with  from  two  to  four  inches  of  earth,  cau- 
tiously pressing  it  downward  and  around  the  layer,  which 
should  then,  like  ordinary  branch  cuttings,  be  shortened  to  one 
or  two  buds  above  the  surface.  It  will  be  found  in  practice 
that  there  is  much  less  danger  of  layers  snapping  off  when  the 
tongue  is  cut  nearly  upon  the  upper  or  inner  side  of  the  sprout, 
in  which  case,  by  slightly  twisting  it,  the  bark  side  of  the 
sprout  is  brought  underneath,  while  the  lower  end  of  the  tongue 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

slides  off  the  cut  into  a  position  almost  perpendicular.  (See 
Fig.  83  c.)  If  the  sprout  to  be  layered  prove  stubborn,  a  slight 
cut  on  the  upper  side,  near  the  butt  and  toward  the  parent  tree, 
will  weaken  its  resistance,  and  enable  you  to  bend  and  pin  it  to 
its  proper  place,  and  will  also  probably  promote  the  rooting  of 
the  layer,  unless  it  be  made  more  than  half  through  the  sprout, 
which  should  be  avoided.  (See  Fig.  83  d.) 

All  tongued  layers  require  much  care  in  removing  them  from 
the  parent  plant,  to  avoid  splitting  them  up  from  the  tongue. 
Generally,  all  the  roots  will  be  found  to  have  grown  from  the 
tongue-bud,  and  a  little  rashness  may  leave  you  a  rootless 
plant.  (See  Fig.  88,  p.  203.) 

Besides  tongueing,  other  modes  of  attaining  the  same  end 
are  sometimes  used,  as  notching  the  sprout  about  half  through 
immediately  below  a  bud.  Sometimes  tongueing  is  combined 
with  this,  and  in  ^inexperienced  hands  the  notching  will  render 
it  easier  to  form  the  tongue  properly.  Banding  tightly  with 
wire,  piercing  with  an  awl  or  knife,  girdling  a  narrow  space,  or 
merely  twisting  the  shoot  just  beyond  the  bud  from  which  the 
roots  are  expected  to  push,  are  all  resorted  to,  while  some 
plants,  as  the  grape-vine,  root  freely  if  the  branches  are  simply 
fastened  down  and  covered  lightly  with  earth. 

HILL  LAYERING. 

Fig>  84.  This  is  a  process  often  re- 

sorted to  for  propagating  free- 
rooting  woody  plants,  as  the 
quince,  certain  varieties  of 
the  apple,  and  some  forest 
trees.  The  young  shoots  arc 
prepared  by  trimming,  as  di- 
rected above  for  common  lay- 
ering, but  may  be  tongued  or  not,  according  to  the  character  of 
the  tree,  a  flattened  or  dished  hill  of  earth,  six  or  eight  inches 
high,  being  made  about  them,  as  shown  in  the  figure.  All  lay- 
ers are  benefited  by  being  mulched,  but  hill  layers  especially 
should  be  thus  protected  and  regularly  watered,  dressing  them 
occasionally  with  weak  liquid  manure. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  201 

For  hill  layering  by  simple  banking  up,  see  "  Offshoots," 
p..203. 

STOCKS. 

For  the  propagation  of  fruits  by  grafting  or  budding,  stocks 
are  required,  and  it  is  of  great  importance  that  they  be  stocks 
on  which  the  fruit  we  graft  or  bud  will  not  only  grow,  but  last 
and  grow  healthfully  to  maturity.  Grafts  or  buds  may  some- 
times grow  for  a  year  or  two  upon  very  incongruous  stocks,  as 
the  peach  upon  the  wild  cherry,  &c.,  and  the  curious  may  try 
to  ascertain  how  far  these  incongruities,  and  devices  to  coun- 
terfeit them,  which  are  so  famous  in  Chinese  and  Italian  gar- 
dening, may  be  pushed.  The  ancients  as  well  as  the  moderns 
amused  themselves  with  such  experiments,  and  have  left  us 
the  record  of  their  very  useless  labors.  A  different  course 
must  be  pursued  if  we  seek  fruits  for  use  or  profit. 

Stocks  should  be  of  kindred  species  with  the  graft  or  bud 
that  is  united  to  them,  or  at  least  of  the  same  natural  order, 
as  pear  and  quince,  or  thorn ;  plum  and  peach,  &c. 

Unless  for  the  purpose  of  dwarfing,  the  stock  should  always, 
if  possible,  be  of  as  free  growth  as  the  kind  which  is  grafted 
or  budded  upon  it ;  and  if  this  can  not  be  attained,  then  the 
grafting  or  budding  should  be  performed  close  to  the  ground, 
so  that  when  the  tree  is  transplanted  the  head  of  the  stock 
may  be  set  entirely  under  ground,  otherwise  the  grafted  kind 
will  largely  overgrow  the  stock  at  the  point  of  junction,  and 
probably  induce  disease  and  premature  decay. 

In  many  parts  of  our  country  there  is  difficulty  in  this  mat- 
ter in  respect  to  stocks  for  plums,  but  few  of  our  common  kinds, 
except  the  Mussel  or  Horse  plum,  being  free  growers,  while 
this  is  so  liable  to  the  black  knot  as  to  render  it  nearly  value- 
less, in  addition  to  which  it  is  almost  always  raised  from  lay- 
ers, which  do  not  root  like  seedlings. 

ROOT  STOCKS. 

Pieces  of  the  roots  of  mature  trees  are  sometimes  used  for 
grafting,  being  cut  into  lengths  for  this  purpose  (Fig.  85  a), 
and  set  out  after  the  grafting  is  performed,  an  expedient  which 

12 


202 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

Fig.  85. 


a.  A  pair  of  root  stocks,  pieces  of  root  from  mature  trees. 

&.  A  pair  of  root  stocks,  pieces  of  the  tap-root  of  one  or  two-year-old  seedlings. 

should  never  be  resorted  to ;  such  stocks  generally  make  only 
a  one-sided  growth  of  root,  and,  as  in  the  case  of  sucker  stocks, 
leave  the  tree  to  the  mercy  of  the  wind.  It  requires  symmet- 
rical roots  to  sustain  a  tree  in  erect  and  healthful  growth  (see 
Fig.  89  5,  page  204).  Neither  offshoot,  nor  sucker,  nor  root 
stock  will  furnish  these,  unless,  possibly,  the  tap-root  of  a 
seedling  cut  into  lengths,  which,  perhaps,  may  be  expected  to 
retain  throughout  its  growth  the  natural  habit  of  its  seedling 
form  (Fig.  85  b). 

ROOT  SUCKERS. 

Fig.  86. 


Runner  roots  and  their  suckers,  with  feeble  hair-like  rootlets. 

ROOT  SUCKERS  are  often  used  for  stocks.  These  differ  from 
offshoots  or  stem  suckers  in  that  they  are  thrown  up  from  pe- 
culiar runner-roots,  which  do  not  supply  food  to  the  tree,  but 
rather  abstract  it  to  support  the  young  brood  they  put  forth. 
This  habit  of  throwing  up  suckers  is  transmitted  to  the  suck- 
er, and  when  it  is  used  as  a  stock  the  tree  becomes  a  nuisance, 
not  only  generally  failing  to  form  sufficient  root  to  support  it- 
self, but,  instead  of  this,  spreading  around  it  a  young  forest  of 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  203 

worthless  growth  (Fig.  86).  I  have  now  in  my  eye  such  a 
tree,  obtained  from  one  of  the  best  nurseries  in  the  state,  which, 
though  not  thicker  than  a  man's  arm,  requires  bracing  against 
the  wind,  while  its  root  suckers  are  spread  over  a  circle  of  sixty 
feet  diameter. 

OFFSHOOTS,  OR  STEM  SUCKER  STOCKS. 

Many  kinds  of  trees  have  a  habit  of  throwing  out  young 
rig.  ST.  shoots  from  the  stem  at  the  butt,  or  just 

above  it,  especially  when  the  upper 
growth  is  checked  or  cut  off.  In  cer- 
tain kinds,  these  young  shoots,  if  touch- 
ing the  earth,  root  freely,  and  of  this 
habit  advantage  is  sometimes  taken  to 
procure  such  for  stocks  by  banking  the 
earth  around  the  tree.  They  are  known 

Offshoots  from  the  stem  collar  „  ,  .  ,-.-,.        „,,_,. 

putting  forth  rootlets.  as  offshoots,  or  stem  suckers  (Fig.  87). 
They  are  really  untongued  hill  layers,  and  have,  in  general,  the 
disadvantages  of  layer  stocks. 

LAYER   STOCKS. 

Stocks,  particularly  of  cherry  and  plum,  and  the  dwarf  ap- 
83.  pies,  are  extensively  raised 

by  layers.  For  this  pur- 
pose the  tree  is  cut  off 
close  to  the  ground,  so  as 
to  induce  sprouting  from 
the  collar.  In  a  few  years 
it  loses  entirely  the  char- 
acter of  a  stemmed  tree, 
and  becomes  a  mere  bunch 
of  sprouts,  which,  as  they 
are  renewed  from  year  to  year,  are  trimmed  out  and  layered 
(Fig.  88).  They  are  of  certain  well-known  varieties,  as  the 
Mazzard  cherry,  the  Mussel  or  Horse  plum,  and  the  Paradise 
apple,  &c.,  and  make  tolerable  stocks,  but  are  in  measure  de- 
fective in  root  power,  being  inclined  to  one-sidedness  (see  Fig. 
88),  and  often  also  somewhat  disposed  to  produce  root  suckers. 


204 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 
SEEDLING  STOCKS. 


a.  Seedling  stock  of  one  year's  growth,  shortened  and  ready  for  transplanting. 
6.  A  well-rooted  seedling  stock,  suitable  for  cleft-grafting,  with  its  third  year's  growth, 
having  been  once  transplanted. 

All  stocks  for  grafting  or  budding  should  be  raised  from 


The  various  fruit-seeds  desired  for  producing  stocks  should 
be  collected  from  healthy  trees  in  their  season,  and,  instead  of 
being  stored  dry,  as  garden-seeds,  should  be  mixed  with  earth, 
and  kept  either  in  a  cellar  or  out  of  doors,  the  latter  being 
preferable  where  it  can  be  done  with  safety.  The  housewife's 
practice  of  placing  peach-pits  under  a  flat  stone  in  the  fall  is 
perfect  so  far  as  relates  to  the  fulfillment  of  the  conditions  nec- 
essary or  desirable  to  the  healthful  preservation  of  all  fruit- 
seeds  through  the  winter.  All  tree-seeds  may  be  advantage- 
ously sown  in  the  fall  if  they  can  be  secured  from  vermin, 
unless  for  special  reasons  it  is  preferred  to  keep  them  until 
spring. 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN.  205 

In  the  case  of  apples  and  pears  it  is  better  to  obtain  seed  for 
raising  stocks  from  the  more  hardy  inferior  varieties  than  from 
choice  kinds.  Pear  seedlings,  being  liable  to  injury  from  the 
first  winter's  cold,  should  either  be  covered  with  earth  in  the 
fall,  or  taken  up  and  kept  in  a  cellar,  and  set  out  again  in  spring, 
in  which  case  they  may  be  multiplied  by  setting  out  separately 
the  pieces  of  roots  obtained  in  shortening,  Fig.  89  a,  allowing 
their  upper  ends  just  to  appear  above  the  surface,  and  settling 
the  earth  to  them  firmly,  and  very  thinly  mulching  them. 

Cherries  also  may  be  raised  from  the  common  black  or  Maz- 
zard,  or  the  honey  cherry. 

Plums  which  are  to  be  used  as  stocks  may  be  of  any  kinds 
that  have  a  moderately  free  growth.  The  plum  is  often  used 
in  unfavorable  soils  and  climates  as  a  stock  for  the  peach  as 
well  as  for  the  apricot  and  plum,  and  in  our  more  favorable  lo- 
calities the  plum  and  apricot  may  be  safely  and  advantageous- 
ly worked  upon  the  peach,  at  least  if  it  be  budded  low,  so  that 
the  whole  of  the  stock  may  be  covered  when  it  is  transplanted. 
At  a  short  distance  from  the  plum-tree  referred  to  above,  as 
upon  a  sucker  stock,  stand  two  others  which  were  planted  at 
the  same  time,  some  twelve  years  ago,  one  of  them  being  bud- 
ded on  a  seedling  plum  stock,  and  the  other  upon  peach.  Both 
appear  thoroughly  and  equally  vigorous.  The  peach  as  a 
stock  for  the"  plum  would  therefore  seem  worthy  of  careful  and 
repeated  trial. 

Peach  stocks,  whether  for  plum  or  peach  propagation,  should 
not  be  raised  from  pits  of  unhealthy  fruit,  but  from  trees  that 
are  not  in  any  way  diseased,  obtained  either  by  careful  selec- 
tion in  your  own  locality,  or  from  regions  not  yet  invaded  by 
the  prevailing  maladies  of  the  peach-tree.  As  these  are  usual- 
ly budded  in  the  seed-row,  it  might  be  well  to  start  the  pits  in 
the  spring  before  planting  them,  and  nip  the  young  tap-root 
an  inch  or  two.  See  page  365.  The  bitter  almond,  raised  in 
the  same  manner,  is  sometimes  used  as  a  stock  for  the  peach, 
particularly  by  the  French,  being  supposed  to  render  it  more 
fruitful,  probably  by  slightly  dwarfing  it.  All  other  seedling 
stocks  should  be  transplanted  at  one,  or,  at  the  most,  two  years 
old,  the  roots  being  shortened  to  four  or  six  inches,  and  the 


206  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

tops  cut  back  in  proportion  (Fig.  89  a).  If  their  multiplica- 
tion is  desired,  they  may  be  treated  as  above  directed  for  seed- 
ling pears,  and,  being  assorted  into  their  several  sizes,  they 
may  be  set  in  the  home  nursery,  or  at  once  where  they  are  in- 
tended to  stand  permanently,  to  be  grafted  or  budded  after 
they  have  made  one  or  two  seasons'  additional  growth ;  but  in 
general,  for  home  use,  it  is  better  to  plant  only  the  main  stock, 
properly  shortened  and  trimmed,  allowing  this  to  attain  a  di- 
ameter of  from  a  half  to  three  quarters  of  an  inch,  or  a  little 
more,  before  grafting  it  (see  Fig.  89  b).  From  such  stocks,  with 
proper  after-treatment,  you  may  expect  a  growth  of  five,  six,  or 
eight  feet  the  first  season  from  the  graft  or  bud. 

STOCKS   FOR  WEAK   OR  IRREGULAR   GROWERS. 

There  are  varieties  of  almost  every  kind  of  fruit,  which, 
though  valuable,  do  not  grow  vigorously,  and  such  it  is  always 
desirable  to  graft  upon  strong  growing  stocks  at  the  height  at 
which  it  is  intended  to  form  the  head. 

There  are  also  certain  kinds,  particularly  of  plums  and  pears, 
that  have  an  irregular  habit  of  growth,  not  making  good  stems 
for  themselves,  yet  requiring  strong  stocks.  These,  when  seed- 
lings of  sufficient  strength  can  not  be  procured,  are  provided 
for  by  grafting  a  strong,  upright-growing,  cultivated  variety 
upon  a  common  stock  near  the  ground,  as  above  directed,  upon 
which,  when  it  has  attained  the  desired  height,  the  irregular 
grower  is  grafted.  This  process  is  known  as  double,  or,  more 
properly,  "intermediary"  grafting,  and  is  also  sometimes 
adopted  in  raising  dwarfed  pears  by  first  grafting  a  familiar 
variety  upon  the  quince,  and  regrafting  this  with  a  kind  that 
would  not  grow  if  grafted  directly  upon  that  stock. 

DWARFING  STOCKS. 

For  special  purposes,  particularly  to  enable  amateurs  to  en- 
large their  collection  of  varieties  of  fruit  upon  a.  limited  space, 
and  to  hasten  the  period  of  fruiting,  strong  growing  varieties 
of  fruit-trees,  or  those  kinds  which,  though  vigorous,  are  nat- 
urally slow  in  attaining  fruitful  maturity,  are  grafted  or  bud- 
ded upon  certain  stocks  of  comparatively  diminutive  growth, 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


207 


by  which  they  are  dwarfed,  and  a  tendency  to  earlier,  and,  in 
some  cases,  to  superior  fruiting  is  induced  ;  or  rather,  perhaps, 
we  should  say  that,  in  climates  unsuited  to  certain  varieties, 
when  grown  upon  strong  seedling  stocks,  dwarfing  affords  us 
aid  by  hastening  the  maturity  of  the  fruit. 

The  illustration  of  this  with  which  we  are  most  familiar  is 
that  of  the  pear  worked  upon  the  Angers  and  other  free-grow- 
ing varieties  of  quince  stock.  It  is  also  sometimes  grafted 
upon  the  mountain  ash  or  the  hawthorn,  but  the  quince  stock 
is  the  best  and  most  generally  reliable. 

For  dwarfing  the  apple,  small  growing  varieties,  known  as 
the  Doucain  and  Paradise  stocks,  are  used. 

Plums  are  sometimes,  but  rarely,  grafted  for  this  purpose 
upon  the  smaller  varieties  of  plum,  the  damson,  the  winter 
damson  or  bullace,  and  the  sloe,  etc. 

With  the  same  view,  peaches  are  sometimes  budded  on  the 
small,  double-flowering  almond,  to  be  fruited  in  pots. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Implements  for  Pruning,  Budding,  and  Grafting. 
IMPLEMENTS  FOR  PRUNING,  BUDDING,  GRAFTING,  &c. 


208  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

The  hammer,  Fig.  90  a,  is  of  the  common  form,  with  steel 
face  and  claws. 

The  half  axe,  Fig.  90  &,  and  hatchet,  Fig  90  c,  for  use  among 
trees  and  shrubs,  are  of  the  forms  in  common  use,  and  may  be 
heavier  or  lighter,  to  suit  the  arm  that  is  to  work  with  them. 

The  pruning  chisel  may  be  either  a  common  socket  chisel 
of  the  desired  width,  or  it  may  be  made  with  a  hooked  knife 
attached  for  cutting  small  sprouts  from  the  limbs,  as  shown 
above,  Fig.  90  d.  The  handle  should  be  of  light  but  stiff  wood, 
and  may  be  eight  or  ten  feet  long,  or  may  be  formed  of  joints, 
so  as  to  vary  the  length.  It  will  cut  off  a  pretty  smart  branch 
by  the  mere  force  of  the  hand,  and  still  larger  ones  by  the  use 
of  a  mallet  to  drive  it. 


Fig.  91. 


a.  Pruning  Saw.     6.  Drawing-knife. 

The  pruning  saw,  called  also  "  grafting  saw"  (Fig.  91  a), 
should  be  eighteen  or  twenty  inches  long  in  the  blade,  and  a 
little  narrower  and  stiffer  than  an  ordinary  carpenter's  saw, 
with  a  pretty  wide  set,  to  give  it  clear  way  through  the  green 
wood. 

The  drawing-knife,  Fig.  91  Z>,  which  should  always  be  used 
after  the  saw,  unless  the  pruning-knife  is  made  to  serve  the 
purpose,  may  be  a  common  small  straight  drawing-knife,  but 
will  be  found  more  convenient  for  its  purposes  if  made  with  a 
curved  edge,  as  shown  in  the  figure. 

Fig  91  The  tree  scraper,  Fig.  91  c,  is  used  for 

jv^  dressing  off  the  dead  bark,  moss,  &c.,  from 

the  bodies  and  large  limbs  of  trees.     It  is 
jj^fea^l^l  tne  common  ship  scraper,  furnished  with  a 
'  long  handle,  and  applied  to  use  in  the  or- 
chard.    A  worn-out  goose-necked  garden 
hoe  may  be  used  instead,  the  blade  being 
set  out  to  a  right  angle  with  the  neck,  so 
that  it  will  scrape,  and  not  cut. 


AMLRICAX   HOME   GARDEN. 


209 


SHEARS,  &C. 
Fig.  92. 


a.  Dressing  Shears. 

6.  Large  Pruning  Shears. 

c.  Medium  Pruning  Shears. 


d.  Small  Pruning  Shears. 

e.  Grape  Scissors. 

/.  Flower  or  Seed  Scissors. 


The  dressing  shears,  Fig.  92  a,  are  large  and  strongly-made 
shears,  of  various  sizes  and  fashions,  with  equal  blades  and  di- 
verging wooden  handles,  used  chiefly  for  dressing  box  edging, 
and  occasionally  shrubbery.  They  are  also  sometimes  used  for 
dressing  live  fences,  and  on  this  account  are  also  called  hedge 
shears. 

The  pruning  shears,  Fig.  92  b,  are  strongly-made  scissors, 
with  one  very  short  blade,  and  a  beak  or  finger,  with  handles 


210  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

long  enough  to  give  so  much  power  that  a  branch  or  tree  of  an 
inch  in  diameter  may  be  easily  cut  off  with  them. 

The  medium  size,  Fig.  92  c,  are  intended  for  ordinary  prun- 
ing. They  are  of  the  best  and  simplest  construction,  the  han- 
dles opening  by  a  stout  spring,  and  being  held  together,  when 
not  in  use,  by  a  small  smooth  wire  loop. 

The  smaller  size  (Fig.  92  d)  may  be  used  with  or  without  a 
spring,  and  are  intended  for  light  shrub  and  flower  pruning. 

Those  of  the  larger  sizes  are  usually  made  with  a  sliding 
joint  or  movable  centre,  to  give  smoothness  to  the  cut,  and  are 
sometimes  fixed  upon  a  pole,  with  a  rope  attached  to  the  lever 
handle,  for  pruning  high  trees  or  cutting  scions. 

The  beak  or  finger  of  pruning  shears  is  commonly  made  of 
equal  thickness  throughout,  with  its  upper  edge  almost  square, 
and  being  always  held  outside  of  the  cut,  it  prevents  the  yield- 
ing of  the  branch,  and  thus  forms  a  strong  brace  against  the 
action  of  the  blade.  If  regularly  beveled  from  back  to  edge, 
leaving  the  latter  from  one  sixteenth  to  one  eighth  of  an  inch 
in  thickness,  there  would  be  no  loss  of  strength,  with  a  great 
saving  of  power,  and  consequent  relief  to  the  hand  in  working. 

They  are  all  efficient  instruments  in  pruning,  being  especial- 
ly convenient  and  useful  for  shortening  and  thinning  thorny 
shrubs,  and  in  all  rough  trimming.  An  expert  with  the  prun- 
ing knife  will  seldom  be  inclined  to  use  the  shears  ;  their  cut 
is  not  so  clean  as  that  of  a  good  knife,  and  when  they  are  at  all 
dull  there  is  a  degree  of  bruising  in  the  operation ;  but  they 
are  safer  in  inexperienced  hands,  since,  in  all  ordinary  work,  it 
is  only  necessary  to  have  strong  fingers,  and  to  understand  that 
the  blade,  and  not  the  beak,  must  be  held  next  to  the  tree  in 
cutting  off  its  branch,  and  the  greenest  hand  can  use  the  shears. 

The  grape  scissors,  Fig.  92  e,  are  common  small  sharp-point- 
ed and  rather  long-bladed  scissors,  used  for  thinning  the 
grapes  when  crowding  upon  their  bunches,  and  for  various 
other  delicate  operations  of  the  fancy  cultivator. 

The  seed  or  flower  scissors,  Fig.  92/,  combine  the  operations 
of  cutting  and  holding.  They  are  small  round-pointed  scis- 
sors, with  one  proper  blade  (a),  along  the  outer  edge  of  which 
runs  a  small  bar  or  plate  (i),  against  which  the  straight,  keen- 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


211 


angled  beak  or  finger  (c)  catches,  and  presses  the  stem  of  the 
head  or  bud  when  cut  off.  They  are  convenient  in  gathering 
flowers  that  have  to  be  reached  after,  or  the  seeds  of  Phlox 
Drummondii,  and  other  plants  where  there  is  danger  that  any 
jar  in  plucking  one  head  may  scatter  the  seeds  of  others. 


Fig.  93. 


THE   FRUIT-GATHERER. 

The  fruit-gatherer  is  an  instrument  for  securing  the 
few  extra-fine  fruit  which  are  often  found  upon  the  ex- 
tremities of  limbs,  out  of  the  reach  of  ordinary  hand- 
picking.  There  are  several  kinds,  but  the  accompany- 
ing figure  shows  one  of  simple  form,  which  any  tin- 
worker  can  make,  and  which,  when  rigged  upon  a  sin- 
gle or  jointed  pole,  with  a  little  cotton  batt  or  other 
soft  material  in  it,  will  gather  the  scattered  fruit  quick- 
ly and  safely. 

BUDDING  KNIFE. 

Fig.  94. 


The  budding  knife  has  a  flat  bone  handle,  which  is  usually 
made  with  a  rounded  end,  and  the  blade  is  often  straight-edged 
and  sharp  pointed.  The  rounded,  recurved  blade  and  the 
square-ended  handle,  with  the  outer  corner  not  too  sharp,  and 
a  small,  smooth,  dull  notch  in  the  inner  one,  to  aid,  if  needful, 
in  pressing  the  bud  downward  beneath  the  bark,  will  be  found 
very  superior  in  actual  operations,  especially  where  rapid  work 
is  desired  (Fig.  94  a).  The  smaller  and  still  more  obtuse- 
formed  blade,  Fig.  94  Z>,  is  also  well  adapted ;  this  generally 
has  a  common  round  handle,  with  a  flat  bone  end  inserted. 


PRUNING  KNIFE. 

The  pruner  is  a  strongly-,, 
made  knife,  clasp  or  other- 
wise, the  blade  of  which  is 
usually  made  about  an  inch 


Fig.  95. 


212 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


broad,  and  from  two  and  a  half  to  three  inches  long.  The  edge 
should  have  a  fair  sweeping  inward  curve  from  heel  to  point, 
as  shown  in  the  figure  (95).  The  handle,  if  small  or  twisted, 
is  apt  to  cramp  or  strain  the  hand  by  continuous  use  ;  it  should 
therefore  be  large,  and  bent  and  set  so  as  to  lie  fair  in  the 
hand,  and  balance.  As  these  knives  are  commonly  made,  the 
point  is  too  much  hooked,  so  that  they  almost  invariably  snap, 
and  have  to  be  ground  up  again,  which  generally  spoils  the 
knife  for  some  of  its  special  and  most  delicate  uses,  though  it 
converts  it  into  an  excellent  splitter  or  stock  knife. 

STOCK  KNIFE. 
Fig.  96. 


This  is  a  short,  strong  knife,  intended  for  splitting  stocks 
of  ordinary  size  and  opening  the  cleft  wiiile  inserting  the 
graft,  thus  saving  the  edge  of  the  grafter.  It  may  also  be 
used  instead  of  the  pruner  for  heading  down  stocks. 


GRAFTING  KNIFE. 
Fig.  9T. 


The  grafter,  or,  more  properly,  the  graft-cutter,  should  have 
a  rather  long,  light  blade,  its  point  being  set  a  little  forward, 
but  with  a  perfectly  straight  edge. 

If  it  is  used  both  for  cutting  the  grafts  and  splitting  the 
stocks  it  will  require  to  be  rather  stronger,  and  must  be  care- 
fully handled,  using  it  near  the  point  for  cutting  and  the  heel 
for  splitting. 

It  is  used  for  cutting  the  various  graft  wedges  in  all  the 
modes  of  grafting,  and  its  edge  should  be  kept  clear  and  keen 


as  a  razor. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  213 

Grafting  may  be  well  performed  with  any  good  straight- 
edged  knife,  but  it  is  better  to  have  two,  the  one  for  cutting 
the  graft,  which  may  be  light,  and  must  be  kept  as  thor- 
oughly sharpened  as  a  razor  or  surgical  instrument ;  the  other, 
for  splitting  the  stock,  should  be  stout,  and  its  edge  kept  smooth 
and  in  good  order.  When  large  stocks  are  split  it  is  done 
with  the  grafting  tool  (Fig.  99),  the  edge  of  which  should  also 
be  kept  in  first-rate  order. 

When  cleft-grafting  is  to  be  performed  on  a  large  number 
of  moderate-sized  stocks  before  planting,  a  simple  machine 
knife  may  be  used  for  splitting  them,  the  stock  being  held 
with  the  left  hand  in  a  groove  immediately  below  the  knife, 
the  lever  handle  of  which  is  raised  by  a  spring,  and  brought 
down  by  pressure  of  the  hand  or  foot,  and  the  stock  split  pre- 
cisely to  the  extent  desired,  the  knife,  which  is  curved  back- 
ward, entering  the  side  of  the  stock  gradually  from  heel  to 
point,  so  that  the  split  is  almost  always  smooth. 

See  also  Stock  Splitter,  Fig.  100,  p.  215. 

There  is  also  a  machine  for  cutting  the  graft-wedge  ready 
for  insertion,  which  does  its  work  with  rapidity  and  neatness. 
It  is  doubtful,  however,  whether  its  uniformity  of  cut  may  not 
seriously  interfere  with  that  judicious  adaptation  of  the  wedge 
to  the  split  which  enables  us  to  match  the  bark  of  graft  and 
stock  throughout  almost  or  quite  the  whole  length  of  the  cut, 
in  which,  in  connection  with  the  keeping  a  perfectly  smooth, 
keen  edge  upon  your  knife,  and  the  neat,  "  slick,"  expert  use 
of  it  in  making  the  various  cuts,  lies  the  whole  secret  of  suc- 
cess in  grafting. 

GRAFTING   STILETTO! 

Fig.  98. 


The  stiletto,  Fig.  98,  is  a  small  instrument  a  few  inches 
long  and  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  the  lower  end 
of  which  is  fashioned  as  a  rather  long,  tapering,  half-round 
wedge,  corresponding  in  form,  and,  as  near  as  may  be,  in  size 


214  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

with  the  graft-wedge  to  be  inserted  in  the  opening  which  it 
prepares.  It  is  intended  exclusively  for  crown  grafting,  which 
see,  and  may  be  of  steel,  or  bone,  or  hard  wood ;  or  may  be 
made  on  the  spur  of  the  occasion  from  a  green  scion.  It  may 
have  a  pocket-case,  or  simply  a  loop  by  which  it  may  be  hung 
upon  a  twig  or  button.  A  goldsmith's  burnisher  of  suitable 
size,  costing  twenty-five  to  fifty  cents,  may  be  used  as  a  sub- 
stitute if  desired. 

GRAFTING  TOOL. 

Fig.  99. 


The  grafting  tool,  as  shown  in  Fig.  99,  is  formed  of  a  small 
bar  of  steel  from  twelve  to  fifteen  inches  long,  half  an  inch 
wide,  and  rather  over  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick,  one  end  being 
drawn  so  as  to  make  it  a  little  lighter  than  the  other.  A 
short  wedge  is  formed  upon  each  end  for  use  in  opening  the 
cleft  while  inserting  the  graft ;  that  at  the  heavier  end  is  ab- 
ruptly bent  backward  at  a  right  angle  to  the  knife,  the  lighter 
end  being  curved  in  the  opposite  direction  sufficiently  to  allow 
of  the  tool  being  hung  over  a  branch  by  it.  The  knife,  which 
is  formed  simply  by  forging  out  the  bar  near  its  heavy  end  to 
about  two  inches  width,  may  be  made  larger  or  smaller,  but 
four  inches  may  be  regarded  as  a  good  size,  the  edge  having  a 
curve  equal  to  the  sweep  of  an  eight-inch  circle.  It  should 
be  forged  thicker  at  the  middle  than  the  ends,  making  both  its 
sides  slightly  and  equally  convex.  The  back  of  it  should  be 
beveled  to  about  half  of  its  full  thickness,  so  that  its  battered 
edges,  after  much  use,  may  not  tear  the  crown  of  the  stock 
when  driven  into  it. 

This  is  a  perfectly  satisfactory  instrument  for  use  among 
large  stocks  and  limbs,  if  they  are  split  at  all,  but  for  such 
the  simpler  process  of  crown  grafting  with  the  use  of  the  sti- 
letto is  greatly  preferable.  See  page  233. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  215 

STOCK   SPLITTER. 

Fig.  100. 


The  stock  splitter,  Fig.  100,  is  formed  of  a  stout  wooden 
handle  and  grooved  head-piece  (a),  the  latter  either  a  simple 
extension  of  the  former  or  set  at  a  more  or  less  obtuse  angle  to 
it,  combined  upon  an  iron  pivot  with  an  iron  handle  of  the 
same  length,  terminated  by  a  knife  of  pretty  thin  steel  (6), 
which  works  directly  toward,  but  does  not  touch  the  inner  face 
of  the  groove. 

The  edge  of  the  knife  should  be  gradually  curved  backward, 
and  perhaps  the  addition-  of  a  small  slide  in  the  joint  would 
farther  improve  it.  In  working  this  implement  the  wooden 
groove  is  placed  against  the  back  of  the  stock  so  far  down  as 
the  operator  may  desire  to  extend  the  cut,  and  the  cleft  is- 
made  in  an  instant  by  pressure  upon  the  outer  end  of  the  iron 
handle.  It  is  sometimes  used  at  the  same  time  for  heading 
down  the  stocks,  but  this  is  of  doubtful  expediency,  in  view  of 
the  importance  of  keeping  its  edge  in  fine  order. 

LABELS. 
BAND   LABELS. 

Labels  may  be  made  with-  small  pieces  of  pine,  about  one 
third  of  an  inch  thick,  or  like  the  thick  end  of  a  good  shingle. 
A  small  block  of  straight-grained  pine,  four  inches  square  and 
an  inch  thick,  will  make  a  dozen  of  them ;  and  if  a  small  hole 
be  first  bored  through  it,  about  half  an  inch  from  the  end,  each 
label,  as  it  is  split  off,  will  be  ready  for  wiring  (101  a) ;  or,  if 
preferred,  the  boring  may  be  omitted,  and  each  may  be  notch- 
ed and  the  wire  twisted  round  it  (101  b).  These  should  be 
smoothed  at  least  on  one  side,  and  painted  with  white  lead. 
Upon  this  the  name  or  number  should  be  written  legibly  with 


216 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


Fig.  101. 


a  rather  soft  pencil,  and  the  label  be  then  fastened  to  the  tree 
with  copper  wire,  about  No.  18,  or  lead  wire  of  a  little  larger 
size,  being  careful  not  to  set  the  wire  tightly  upon  the  tree, 
but  making  allowance  for  growth. 

Metallic  labels  may  be  made  of  zinc,  or  lead,  or  tin,  which 
may  be  punched  and  wired  to  the  tree,  as  101  c.  If  zinc  is 
used,  it  may  be  written  on  with  the  following  mixture :  Take 
two  drachms  of  sal  ammoniac,  two  drachms  of  verdigris,  one 
drachm  of  lampblack,  and  two  and  a  half  ounces  of  water ;  mix 
carefully  in  a  mortar  with  a  small  portion  of  the  water,  then 
add  the  rest  and  bottle  it.  Keep  it  well  corked  and  sealed 
when  not  wanted,  and  shake  it  well  before  using  it.  Whatever 
metal  is  used,  however,  it  is  much  better  to  stamp  the  name 
or  number  upon  it  with  a  punch.  A  set  of  letters  and  num- 
bers, of  steel,  may  be  bought  for  three  or  four  dollars,  which 
will  last  a  lifetime  ;  or  cast  brass,  or  pot  metal,  or  iron  letters 
and  numbers,  which  will  punch  the  labels  almost  as  well,  may 
be  obtained  at  a  cheaper  rate.  If  lead,  or  even  tin,  is  used, 
common  cast-off  type  from  the  printers  will  punch  it  satisfac- 
torily, though  for  the  latter  brass  or  steel  types  are  better. 

A  single  line  drawn  upon  the  metal  will  enable  any  one  to 
keep  the  letters  in  a  proper  position,  and  when  finished,  the 
strip  can  be  flattened  again  with  a  wooden  mallet  or  block. 
Perhaps  the  best  labels  for  growing  or  large  trees  may  be  made 
with  strips  of  tin  or  lead,  the  latter  being  best  on  the  whole, 
from  half  an  inch  to  two  inches  wide,  and  of  any  necessary 
length,  upon  one  end  of  which  the  name  is  to  be  punched  as 
above  directed,  and  the  other,  being  passed  around  the  tree  as 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


217 


a  band,  and  folded  once  over,  will  form  a  slack  loop,  in  which 
the  band  will  slip  easily  with  the  enlarging  growth  of  the  tree 
(101  d) ;  or  it  may  be  made  as  a  simple  band  or  bracelet  (as 
101  e),  with  the  ends  overlapping  or  not,  at  discretion.  Its 
own  strength  will  keep  it  in  place,  and  it  can  be  read  even 
when  placed  at  a  considerable  height.  All  danger  from  cut- 
ting in  will  thus  be  avoided,  and  a  permanent  and  legible  label 
be  secured. 

For  small  plants  or  shrubs,  101  f  may  be  used,  being  punch- 
ed with  smaller  letters,  or,  if  made  of  zinc,  written  upon,  and 
coiled  as  101  d  e  ;  or  it  may  be  used  as  a  stake  label,  instead 
of  102  a,  for  pot  plants  or  flower-plots  in  the  garden,  &c. 

All  labels  should  be  examined  annually,  and,  if  necessary, 
renewed  or  freshly  painted.  For  trees  and  shrubs,  however, 
labels  alone  ought  not  to  be  depended  on,  but  every  cultivator 
of  these  should  prepare  in  a  book  diagrams  of  his  several  plots 
or  orchards,  upon  which  the  position  and  name  of  each  tree 
must  be  designated  clearly  and  with  precision. 

STAKE  LABELS. 

Stake  labels  may  be  made  of  metal,  as  101 /,  or  of  strips  of 

shingle  for  small  articles,  pots, 
&c.  (102  a),  and  of  locust,  or 
chestnut,  or  cedar,  or  cypress, 
or  pitch  pine,  for  larger  ones 
(102  5).  These  should  be 
about  an  inch  and  a  half 
square,  and  full  two  feet  long, 
smoothed,  and  painted,  and 
written  on,  as  above  directed, 
or  marked  by  burning  in  with 
a  branding-iron,  or  numbered 
with  the  Roman  numerals,  cut 
in  with  a  knife  or  sawn  across 
the  face  of  the  tally,  making 
a  notch  on  one  corner,  or  any  other  mark  you  may  devise,  to 
stand  for  ten,  and  others  for  fifty  and  one  hundred,  if  necessa- 
ry. Stake  labels  are  sometimes  made  of  brick  or  potters'  clay  ; 

K 


Fig.  102. 


218  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

they  are  simply  tapering  bricks  of  divers  fashions  and  sizes,  of 
which  one  end  is  formed  as  a  tablet,  upon  which  the  name  or 
number  is  imprinted  while  soft,  or  painted  on,  and  afterward 
properly  glazed  and  burned  hard,  Fig.  102  c,  d. 

TIES. 

Strips  of  the  ordinary  Russian  bass  mat,  common  in  our  fur- 
niture stores,  though  generally  called  "  garden"  mats,  or  sim- 
ilar strips  of  the  inner  bark  of  our  own  bass-wood-tree,  or  of 
the  willow,  or  the  leather- wood,  Dirca,  or  the  paper  mulberry, 
or  of  well-kept  corn-husk,  or  coarse  yarn,  or  cheap  cotton  twine, 
or  candle-wick,  or  strips  of  rag,  may  all  be  used  in  various 
ways  as  ties,  and  some  of  them  should  be  kept  at  hand  for  the 
purpose.  But  for  securing  trees  when  staked,  straw  bands  are 
used. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Nature  of  Budding. — Bud  Scions. — Stocks  for,  and  Modes  and  Times  of 
Budding. — After-treatment,  &c. 

BUDDING. 

BUDDING  is  a  process  suited,  with  lew  exceptions,  to  all 
kinds  of  trees  and  shrubs,  and  should  be  generally  preferred  to 
grafting  for  its  simplicity  and  ease. 

The  knives  for  this  purpose,  figured  page  211,  are  the  only 
forms  really  suitable  for  expert  and  rapid  work,  but  the  opera- 
tion may  be  performed  with  a  common  pen  or  pocket  knife. 

Budding  and  grafting,  though  appearing  somewhat  difficult 
in  description,  which  is  necessarily  prolix,  are  really  very  sim- 
ple operations,  which  any  whittling  boy  or  smart  girl  may  per- 
form, and  succeed  on  the  very  first  trial ;  and,  with  the  facili- 
ties for  the  cheap  and  rapid  transmission  of  scions  or  grafts 
afforded  by  our  present  mail  rates,  the  author  has  pleasure  in 
anticipating  that  many  young  persons  will  avail  themselves  of 
the  instructions  here  given,  and  plant  and  bud  or  graft  choice 
fruits  for  coming  years. 

As  a  matter  of  curiosity,  either  grafting  or  budding  may  be 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  219 

successfully,  though  with  some  difficulty,  performed  with  the 
buds  inverted,  the  wood  cells  consisting  of  even  cylindrical 
tubes,  through  which  the  circulation  will  pass  in  either  direc- 
tion. 

Budding  is  often  called  inoculating,  but  this  name  seems  to 
have  originated  in  a  misconception.  Inoculation  is,  in  medical 
practice,  the  introduction  of  a  virus  into  the  circulation,  which 
spreads  through  it.  But  budding  and  grafting  are  the  simple 
planting  of  a  bud  or  branch  cutting  in  circumstances  favora- 
ble to  its  rapid  growth  and  development  as  a  tree.  Nothing 
from  it,  so  far  as  we  know,  permeates  the  system  and  affects 
the  character  of  the  stock ;  nor  does  it  receive  any  appreciable 
modification  in  its  own  essential  characteristics  from  the  stock  ; 
but  uniting  with  it,  or  living  as  a  parasite  upon  it,  and  deriv- 
ing its  nourishment  through  it,  its  own  inherent  force  is  put 
forth  in  the  formation  of  its  system  of  stem,  branches,  and 
fruit,  the  stock  also  retaining  for  itself  the  same  distinct  indi- 
viduality, each  preserving  in  undiminished  force  its  peculiar 
local  powers  of  appropriate  secretion  and  organization,  all 
growth  from  below  the  junction  being  constantly  throughout 
the  life  of  the  tree  "  natural,"  or  of  the  stock,  and  all  above 
the  'junction  partaking  with  equal  constancy  of  the  nature  of 
the  graft.  There  is,  therefore,  no  analogy  between  inoculation 
and  budding,  and  we  retain  the  latter  term.  Contrary  to  the 
above  views,  it  has  been  supposed  by  some  that  late  fruits  are 
materially  affected  in  their  period  of  maturing  by  being  bud- 
ded or  grafted  on  stocks  of  early  kinds  ;  but  if  this  were  so,  of 
which  I  have  failed  to  find  proof,  the  converse  ought  also  to  be 
true,  and  our  early  fruits  become  belated  by  grafting  upon 
stocks  of  later  varieties ;  but  almost  all  apple  stocks  are  raised 
from  kinds  comparatively  late.  Upon  these  our  earliest  apple 
—the  little  white  Early  May — has  been  continuously  worked 
for  centuries,  and  upon  this  theory  it  is  inconceivable  that  it 
should  have  retained  its  distinctive  character. 

It  may,  perhaps,  be  regarded  as  certain  that,  in  general,  the 
stock  affects  the  graft  only  in  two  ways  :  first,  by  its  own  hard- 
iness and  durability,  securing,  under  proper  conditions,  contin- 
uance to  the  graft  inserted  in  it ;  and,  second,  by  the  character 


220 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


of  its  growth.  If  this  equal  or  exceed  the  graft  in  freedom, 
healthful  vigor  of  growth  in  the  tree  is  secured  ;  if  it  fall  much 
short  of  the  freedom  of  the  graft  growth,  diseased  or  morbid 
action  is  superinduced,  and  hence  the  dwarfing,  premature 
fruiting,  and  limitation  of  life. 

BUD  SCION  AND   BUDS. 

a  Fig.  103.  a.  Bud  scion  trimmed  for  use,  and  inverted 

as  it  must  be  held  in  cutting  out  the 
b          i\c  buds. 

6.  The  bud  as  cut  from  the  inverted  scion, 

with  the  wood  in. 

c.  The  bud  turned  to  its  natural  direction, 
with  the  wood  taken  out. 

The  young  shoot  from  which  buds 
and  grafts  are  cut  is  called  a  scion,  and 
sometimes  the  graft  itself  is  improper- 
ly so  called.  The  bud  scion  is  prepared  by  trimming  off 
its  leaves  so  far  as  the  buds  are  full  and  ripe  for  use,  cut- 
ting each  leaf  stem  a  quarter  or  half  an  inch  from  the 
bud,  cutting  off  the  butt  end  of  the  scion  upon  which  the 
buds  may  not  be  plump,  and  rejecting  at  discretion  four 
or  six  inches  of  its  point,  on  which  the  buds,  though 
plump,  may  not  be  ripened. 
The  necessary  bandages,  which  may  be  prepared  from  any 
of  the  materials  named  for  ties,  page  218,  should  be  cut  into 
lengths  of  from  twelve  to  eighteen  inches,  and  strung  to  a  gir- 
dle or  through  a  button-hole,  so  as  to  be  conveniently  out  of 
the  way  until  wanted. 

Taking  the  prepared  scion  in  your  left  hand,  with  its  point 
toward  you  (Fig.  103  a),  hold  it  firmly  between  your  thumb  and 
the  second  joint  of  the  middle  finger,  while  the  point  of  your 
extended  fore-finger  supports  and  steadies  it  precisely  under- 
neath the  bud  which  you  intend  to  remove. 

With  your  budding-knife,  perfectly  keen,  in  your  right  hand, 
held  firmly  by  the  fingers  as  when  sharpening  a  lead-pencil, 
with  the  right  thumb  laid,  not  under,  but  upon  the  scion,  im- 
mediately against  the  point  of  the  left  thumb,  stretch  the  hand 
until  the  knife  rests  flatly  upon  the  scion,  half  an  inch  or  a  lit- 
tle more  back  of  the  bud  ;  then  entering  the  edge,  carefully  and 


AMERICAN   HOME   GAEDEN. 


221 


Fig.  104. 


gradually,  with  a  drawing  and  perfectly  level  cut,  let  it  pass 
under  the  bud  at  a  depth  just  sufficient  to  cut  out  the  bud 
with  its  swelling,  scarcely  scaling  the  wood,  and  coming  out 
gradually  as  it  entered,  half  an  inch  or  more  above  the  point 
of  the  bud  (Fig.  103  6). 

Sometimes  the  thin  scale  of  wood  is  taken  out  from  the  bud, 
and  the  bark  only  inserted  (Fig.  103  c),  but  this  is  entirely  un- 
necessary, involving  also  some  difficulty,  and  risk  of  spoiling  the 
bud.  If  done  at  all,  it  should  be  performed  by  turning  the  bud 
into  its  natural  direction,  and  holding  it  carefully  between  the 
points  of  the  thumb  and  fore-finger  of  the  left  hand,  and,  loos- 
ening the  wood  from  the  bark  at  the  upper  end  with  the  point 
of  your  knife,  pass  the  blade  under  it,  and  holding  the  thin 
piece  of  wood  firmly  by  pressing  your  thumb  upon  it  on  the 
knife,  lift  it  carefully  from  its  place  with  a  slightly  turning 
or  rolling  motion  from  one  side,  and  you  will  probably  effect 
its  removal  without  drawing  out  the  germ  of  the  future'tree, 
which  is  the  danger  to  be  apprehended,  and 
which  will  almost  certainly  occur  if  you  begin 
the  removal  of  the  wood  at  the  wrong  end. 

STOCKS  SUITABLE  FOR  BUDDING. 

Stocks  for  budding  should  not,  at  the  larg- 
est, be  more  than  three  fourths  of  an  inch  di- 
ameter, nor  smaller  than,  at  the  least,  twice 
the  thickness  of  the  scion  from  which  the  bud 
is  taken.  A  stock  is  prepared  for  budding  by 
trimming  off  all  leaves  and  branches  from  near 
the  point  at  which  the  bud  is  to  be  inserted, 
and  generally  all  below  this  point,  though  this 
last  is  not  essential  unless  the  lower  growth  be 
strong,  Fig.  104. 

STOCKS   PREPARED   AND   BUDDED. 

Having  cut  out  the  bud  as  above  directed,  hold  it  for  a  mo- 
ment edgewise  between  your  lips,  and  with  your  knife,  held 
lightly  by  your  thumb  and  finger  points,  make  a  cross  cut  just 
in  the  clear  spot  chosen  for  inserting  the  bud,  through  the 


222 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 


a.  The  stock  prepared  for  receiving  the  bud. 
•  &.  The  stock,  with  the  bud  inserted  and  shortened. 

c.  The  stock,  with  the  bud  inserted  and  bound. 

bark,  about  half  an  inch  or  less  long ;  then,  turning  your  knife 
point  downward,  with  your  right  fore-finger  pressing  upon  the 
back  of  the  blade,  the  handle  being  held  firmly  between  the 
thumb  and  middle  finger,  make  a  straight,  clean  slit  from  an 
inch  below  upward  to  the  cross  cut,  forming  a  T.  When  at  the 
cross  cut,  and  before  withdrawing  the  knife,  rack  it  once  from 
side  to  side,  so  as  with  the  edge  to  loosen  and  slightly  open 
the  bark  at  that  point  (Fig.  105  a) ;  quickly  turning  the  knife 
handle  down,  and  holding  it  as  a  pen  is  held  in  writing,  pass 
the  square  corner  of  the  bone  handle  carefully  under  each  edge 
of  the  slit,  opening  it  just  enough  to  admit  the  bud,  and  no 
more ;  then,  having  inserted  this,  slip  it  down  toward" the  bot- 
tom of  the  slit  so  far  as  to  make  it  sit  firmly  in  its  place,  using 
for  this  purpose  either  the  finger  laid  upon  the  piece  of  leaf- 
stem  and  the  bud,  or  the  dull  notch  intended  for  that  purpose  at 
the  opposite  corner  of  the  handle  (see  p.  211).  If  the  upper 
end  of  the  bark  of  the  bud  extend  at  all  above  the  cross  cut, 
take  it  off  by  passing  the  knife  once  more  along  the  cross  line, 
so  that  it  will  set  in  nicely  (Fig.  105  b).  Then  tie  it  carefully 
and  tightly,  beginning  at  the  bottom,  and  taking  special  care 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  223 

that  in  starting  to  wrap  it  you  do  not  also  press  the  bud  upward 
out  of  place,  and  as  you  proceed  in  the  binding,  use  a  gentle 
pressure  upon  it  to  make  it  fit  its  place,  leaving  only  the  short 
leaf-stem  and  point  of  the  bud  uncovered  by  the  bandage  (Fig. 
105  c).  Or  two  bands  may  be  used,  beginning  with  one  im- 
mediately above  the  bud,  and  wrapping  upward,  and  the  other 
just  below  and  on  the  swell  of  the  bud,  and  winding  downward, 
the  latter  only  being  loosened  or  removed  at  the  first  after- 
dressing  of  the  bud.  This,  however,  like  too  early  budding,  is 
.apt  to  start  the  young  bud  in  the  fall,  which,  when  occurring 
from  any  cause,  is  injurious,  increasing  the  labor  of  tending, 
generally  resulting  in  the  production  of  a  feebler  growth  than 
if  the  bud  had  lain  dormant  until  spring,  and  almost  uniformly 
rendering  the  tree  more  or  less  unsightly  at  the  point  of  junc- 
tion of  the  bud  and  stock. 

ANNULAR  BUDDING. 

ANNULAR  BUDDING  is  performed  by  cut- 
ting, or  rather  peeling,  a  ring  of  bark  about 
half  an  inch  wide  from  the  stock  (Fig.  106 
a),  and  a  corresponding  ring,  containing  a 
bud,  from  a  scion  of  equal  size,  or  a  little 
larger  (Fig.  106  5),  and  fitting  the  latter 
neatly  in  the  place  of  the  former,  shorten- 
ing it  if  its  girth  be  greater  than  necessa- 

a.  The  stock  prepared  for  j    T_  •     j  •  •  >  n  n  ir»i 

annular  budding.  ry>  and  binding  it  carefully  and  firmly. 
6.  The  bud-ring  prepared  This  mode  of  budding  is  peculiarly  suited 

to  fit  the  stock.  ,        .  .  .  °        . r.  ,  .  J 

to  trees  having  thick,  rigid  bark,  and  is 
rarely  used. 

TIME   OF   BUDDING. 

All  budding  may  be  performed  in  the  fall.  Fruit-trees  and 
some  fancy  forest  trees  are  usually  budded  in  July  and  Au- 
gust, beginning  with  pear  and  cherry,  then  plum,  orange,  rose, 
apple,  and  peach,  the  latter  being  sometimes  postponed  to 
September.  The  time,  however,  will  vary  with  locality,  it  be- 
ing always  advisable  to  bud  as  late  as  may  be  possible  consist- 
ent with  the  easy  and  successful  setting  of  the  bud,  so  that 


224 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


no  growth  may  take  place  before  spring.  Orange-trees  and 
other  green-house  plants,  being  calculated  to  grow  right  on  un- 
der protection,  are  exceptions,  and  may  be  budded  in  spring,  or 
summer,  or  winter. 


AFTER-TREATMENT. 
Fig.  107. 


a.  The  bud  united  to  the  stock,  and  the  bandage  loosened  and  removed  in  due  time. 

&.  A  neglected  bud,  the  bandage  having  cut  deeply  into  the  stock,  causing  unnatural  en- 
largement above  and  below,  with  a  growth  of  stem-suckers. 

c.  The  bud  in  spring,  the  stock  cut  down  about  four  inches  above  it,  and  all  the  natural 
or  stock  buds  removed. 

<f.  The  bud  growing,  and  tied  up  to  the  shank  of  the  stock. 

<-.  The  bud  in  spring,  ^he  stock  being  cut  at  once  down  to  the  point  of  the  bud. 

/.  The  bud  growing  naturally  upright,  but  staked  to  secure  it  against  danger  of  injury  in 
its  early  stages. 

In  about  two  weeks  after  the  budding  you  may  loosen  the 
bandage,  and  before  winter,  or  whenever  it  seems  to  be  cutting 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  225 

into  the  stock,  remove  it  entirely,  when  the  bud  will  be  found 
firmly  united  to  the  stock,  but  showing  no  signs  of  immediate 
growth,  Fig.  107  a.  If,  however,  the  bandage  be  left  without 
relief,  it  will  cut  into  the  stock,  sometimes  destroying  the  bud, 
and  forcing  a  fall  growth  of  stem-suckers,  and  the  multiplica- 
tion of  sucker-buds  at  the  collar  of  the  stock,  Fig.  107  b. 

Early  in  the  spring  remove  all  natural  or  stock-buds,  and 
cut  off  the  head  of  the  stock  about  four  inches  above  the  bud, 
Fig.  107  c.  When  the  latter  has  started  to  ^row  four  or  six 
inches,  draw  it  gently  upright,  nearly  touching  this  shank,  and 
tie  it  carefully,  Fig.  107  d. 

Keep  the  stock  free  from  all  young  natural  shoots  through- 
out the  summer,  and  if  the  bud  grows  at  all  thriftily,  cut  off 
the  shank  with  a  -sharp  knife  about  the  end  of  June,  finishing 
it  with  a  downward  slope  from  the  back  of  the  bud. 

As  there  is  some  difficulty  in  cutting  away  the  shank  at  this 
time  without  injury  to  the  young  growth  of  the  bud,  it  may  be 
avoided  by  cutting  the  head  of  the  stock  at  once  down  to  the 
bud  before  it  starts  to  grow,  as  in  Fig.  107  e,  and  the  young 
shoot  from  the  bud  will  naturally  grow  upright,  Fig.  107/. 
As  a  measure  of  defense  against  possible  injury,  the  top  of  the 
stock  which  is  cut  off  may  be  stuck  firmly  down  by  the  side 
of  the  bud,  which,  while  young,  may  be  tied  up  to  it  as  a  stake, 
Fig.  107/. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Grafting. — Grafting  large  Trees,  &c. — Various  Modes  and  Times  of  Graft- 
ing.— After-treatment. 

GRAFTING. 

For  figures  and  descriptions  of  grafting  and  budding  knives, 
see  pages  211-213  ;  and  for  ties,  page  218. 

Around  every  country  home,  however  humble,  there  should 
always  be  found  some  natural  stocks  of  various  kinds,  such  as 
have  been  described  pages  204  and  205,  ready  for  budding  or 
grafting  whenever  scions  of  valuable  fruit  may  be  obtained.  If 
they  are  not  used  for  the  propagation  of  new  varieties,  they 

K  2 


226 


AMERICAN  HOME.  GARDEN. 


will  serve  for  valuable  common  kinds,  care  being  taken  to  graft 
them  before  they  become  very  large,  although  even  then  they 
may  be  grafted  as  shown  below. 


LARGE   TREES. 
Fig.  108. 


A.  Large  tree  to  be  grafted  by  installments,  viz  : 
a,  a,  a,  a.  To  be  grafted  the  first  year. 

6,  b.  To  be  grafted  the  second  year. 

c,  c,  c.  To  be  grafted  the  third  year ;  and  any  that  have  failed  to  grow  may  also  be  ro- 
grafted. 

B.  A  large  tree,  the  limbs  of  which  have  been  cut  off  to  induce  a  growth  of  sprouts  for 
budding  or  grafting. 

Whenever  it  is  discovered  that  fruit-trees  are  not  such  kinds 
as  we  would  desire,  or  are  of  such  kinds  as  do  not  suit  our  par- 
ticular locality,  they  should  be  immediately  regrafted,  substi- 
tuting a  variety  of  known  character  and  success.  Little  or  no 
time  will  be  lost  in  the  maturing  of  the  tree  for  full  bearing  if 
this  be  done  with  promptitude.  If,  however,  the  tree  has  at- 
tained considerable  size,  let  it  be  grafted  by  installments,  be- 
ginning near  the  top,  and  grafting  about  one  third  of  it  per 
year.  See  Fig.  108  A. 

Sometimes  such  a  tree  has  all  its  limbs  cut  off  at  once  within 
a  foot  or  two  of  the  trunk,  for  the  purpose  of  inducing  a  young 
growth  of  sprouts  that  may  be  more  easily  grafted  or  budded ; 
and  if  the  tree  be  comparatively  young  and  vigorous,  it  may 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


227 


bear  thrs  treatment  and  make  a  full  head  of  young  sprouts,  as 
Fig.  108  B.  But  there  is  much  risk  of  killing  the  tree  if  it 
be  old  or  feeble  ;  the  ends  of  the  limbs  seldom  heal  so  well  as 
if  they  had  been  crown  grafted  (see  page  233),  and  even  after 
buds  or  grafts  have  taken  in  such  a  tree,  if  at  all  neglected, 
they  are  apt  to  be  overgrown  and  destroyed  by  the  sprouts. 

But  in  all  large»tree  grafting  it  is  highly  important  to  give 
careful  after-treatment,  as  directed  page  240. 

PREPARATION   OP  GRAFTS. 
"  .,v'r  Fig.  109. 


a.  Graft  Scion. 


b.  Grafts  cut  to  proper  length. 


Scions  for  making  grafts  are  taken  from  the  young  shoots  of 
the  previous  year's  growth,  rejecting  the  older  wood,  as  well 
as  any  blossom-buds  that  may  have  formed  upon  the  younger ; 
these  are  known  by  their  round  fullness,  and  are  sometimes 
chosen  to  gratify  a  fancy  for  producing  a  fruit  from  the  graft 
or  bud  the  first  year ;  but  the  growth  is  always  injured,  and  the 
tree  sometimes  lost  by  the  operation,  which  thus  becomes  too 
expensive.  They  should  be  taken  from  the  tree  before  the  ap- 
proach of  spring,  and  either  buried  in  sand  or  earth,  or  placed 
butts  downward  in  a  small  pit  or  grave  on  the  north  side  of  a 
fence  or  building,  and  having  sufficient  straw  packed  over 
them  and  alongside  them  to  keep  them  from  drying  out  or  be- 
coming dirty,  except  the  butts,  which,  resting  upon  the  bot- 
tom, will  obtain  sufficient  moisture  to  keep  them  fresh.  When 
taken  out  for  use,  let  them  be  washed  clean  and  cut  up  into 


228 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


grafts  of  four  or  six  buds  each  in  length.  These  are  usually 
carried  in  a  pouch,  or  bag,  or  apron  tucked  up  by  the  corners, 
worn  for  this  purpose  while  grafting,  which,  when  two  knives 
are  used,  serves  also  to  carry  the  one  while  the  other  is  in  the 
hand. 

Scions,  or  grafts  in  their  proper  lengths,  as  above,  may  be 
cut  at  any  time  from  late  fall  through  wmter,  and  kept  for 
weeks,  or  even  months,  simply  wrapped  in  paper  ;  or  if  sealed 
at  the  ends  with  shellac  or  collodion,  and  the  wrapper  also 
made  air-tight,  so  much  the  better,  particularly  if  it  is  intend- 
ed to  transport  them  through  warm  latitudes. 

They  may  also  be  sent  by  mail  with  the  greatest  ease,  and 
if  used  as  single-bud  grafts  (see  next  figure),  each  graft  will 
furnish  at  least  enough  for  four  stocks. 

MODES   OF   GRAFTING. 

As  budding  is  the  planting  of  a  bud  cutting,  so,  in  general, 
grafting  is  the  planting  of  a  branch  cutting,  the  most  marked 
distinction  between  them  being  that  the  bud  scion  is  the 
growth  of  the  current  season,  the  graft 
scion  of  the  season  previous,  and  sin- 
gle-bud grafting  links,  the  two  processes. 

SINGLE-BUD   GRAFTING. 

SINGLE-BUD  GRAFTING  may  be  prac- 
ticed with  entire  success  by  inserting 
buds  from  carefully-preserved  graft  sci- 
ons, in  the  manner  directed  for  bud- 
ding, page  222,  as  early  in  the  spring 
as  the  bark  of  the  stock  is  found  to  run, 
in  which  case,  however,  the  stock  is  cut 
down  at  once  in  one  or  other  of  the 
modes  directed  for  budded  stocks,  page 
224,  figures  107  c,  e,  and  all  natural 
a.  The  stock  headed  down,  growth  kept  off,  so  as  to  force  an  imme- 

with  the  graft  bud  inserted.         °     ,  r  .      ,,  A,        ,      ,  -          T 

&.  The  stock  headed  down  diate  growth  from  the  bud-graft.     It 


and  prepared  for  the  bud  as  a  may  aiso 

patch,  or  tongued.        .  •' 


The  bud-graft. 


performed  before  the  bark 

f 

runs  by  heading  down  the  stock  as  for 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


229 


cleft  grafting,  and  cutting  a  small  slice  from  the  side  an  inch 
or  so  below  the  top  (Fig.  110  &),  and  setting  the  bud  on  as  a 
patch,  fitting  it  with  exactness,  and  binding  it  with  care ;  or, 
the  bud  being  cut  out  thick  for  the  purpose,  a  small  tongue 
may  be  made  in  each,  so  that  they  may  be  more  conveniently 
bound  together.  In  either  mode,  the  after-treatment  is  pre- 
cisely that  directed  for  growing  buds,  page  225. 


Fig.  111. 


SIDE   GRAFTING. 

In  SIDE  GRAFTING  a  slit  is  made 
as  for  budding,  and  the  graft,  being 
cut  from  one  side  only  into  the  form 
of  a  tapering,  half-round  wedge,  is 
inserted  and  bound  ;  or  it  is  bound 
on  to  a  spot  in  the  stock  from  which 
a  slice  of  bark  of  corresponding  size 
has  been  cut,  merely  fitting  it  on, 
as  in  single-bud  patch  grafting,  or  1\ 
tongueing  it,  as  in  tongue  grafting, 
but  shorter,  deferring  the  heading 
down  or  shortening  of  the  stock  un-  f 
til  the  graft  knits,  as  in  inarching*.  ^/^ 

Side  grafting  is  used  chiefly  for     a.",inestocKpreparea,wltna  ,,, 
ornamental  forest  trees,  upon  which  m  budding,  to  receive  the  graft. 
it  is  supposed  to  succeed  better  than  ^J^tU  f£i±a^~ 

Other  modes  ;    but  it  may  be  applied       c-  The  graft  inserted,  and  ready  to 

to  all  kinds  of  trees,  and  will  some-  b 

times  be  found  especially  useful  for  balancing  or  giving  sym- 
metry to  a  one-sided  tree,  replacing  a  lost  branch,  etc. 

SADDLE  GRAFTING. 

In  SADDLE  GRAFTING  the  stock  is  cut  wedge  form  (Fig. 
112  a),  and  the  graft,  being  first  split  up  the  necessary  dis- 
tance, is  pared  on  the  inside  so  as  to  form  a  cleft,  of  which 
each  prong  or  lip  is  a  tapered  half-round  (Fig.  112  b) ;  these 
are  neatly  set  across  the  stock  at  one  side,  (Fig.  112  c),  so  that 
the  inner  barks  of  graft  and  stock  fit  together  to  the  very  end 
of  the  lips,  and  the  whole  is  then  carefully  bound,  as  directed 


230 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


for  buds,  page  223.  If  con- 
venient, it  is  much  better  to 
have  the  graft  and  stock  of 
precisely  equal  diameter  ;  but, 
except  for  a  fancy,  it  is  hardly 
worth  while  to  use  this  mode 
of  grafting  at  all. 

There  are  innumerable  other 
fancy  modes,  for  which  the 
French  and  Chinese  are  fa- 
mous, but  which  will  readily 
suggest  themselves  to  any  one 
for  pleasant  amusement. 

The  common  and  useful 
modes  of  grafting  are  three. 
Cleft  grafting,  which  is  per- 
formed upon  stocks  as  small 
as  three  fourths  of  an  inch  in 

for  binding.  diameter,  or  limbs  as  large  as 

a  man's  arm ;  crown  grafting,  used  only  for  large  trees ;  and 
tongue  grafting,  which  is  chiefly  adapted  to  very  small  stocks. 

CLEFT   GRAFTING. 
Fig.  113. 


a.  The  stock  prepared. 

b.  The  graft  prepared. 

c.  The  graft  fitted  upon  the  stock  and  ready 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  231 

a.  The  stock  cleft,  and  ready  for  the  graft. 

6.  The  graft  wedge  prepared  for  insertion. 

c.  The  graft  set,  and  ready  for  binding  and  covering. 

<?.  The  graft  set,  and  covered  with  rag  and  composition. 

e.  The  graft  set,  and  covered  with  grafting  mortar. 

*>J 

In  cleft  grafting  on  stocks  of  small  or  medium  size,  the 
depth  of  the  split  will  unavoidably  vary,  as  they  may  prove 
of  different  strength  and  flexibility,  some  opening  almost  as 
freely  as  lea'ther,  and  others  stiffly  and  with  difficulty,  the  split 
extending  far  down  the  stock ;  in  large  trees  or  limbs  this  last 
is  still  more  troublesome. 

To  effect  grafting  by  this  mode  rightly,  let  your  stock  be 
cut  down  to  the  desired  point,  in  general  as  near  the  ground 
as  convenient,  with  a  slight  slope  backward  from  the  side  on 
which  you  intend  to  set  the  graft,  where  a  portion  about  the 
width  of  the  graft  is  cut  level  (Fig.  1.13  a,  b).  Split  the  stock 
by  placing  your  knife  across  the  centre  of  this  level  spot,  not 
perfectly  square,  but  with  the  point  bearing  downward,  so  that 
as  you  press  it  the  bark  will  be  first  cut  a  little  ahead  of  the 
splitting,  making  also  the  split  upon  the  outer  side  a  little 
deeper  than  on  the  inner. 

Take  your  graft,  a  piece  not  more  than  five  inches  long,  and 
holding  it  in  your  left  hand  as  you  would  hold  a  pencil  to 
sharpen  it,  with  your  knife  firmly  grasped,  place  the  butt  be- 
tween the  blade  and  your  right  thumb,  and  with  a  steady  draw- 
ing motion  cut  the  one  side  of  a  wedge  from  an  inch  -to  two 
inches  long ;  then,  turning  the  graft,  cut  the  other  side  in  the 
same  manner,  being  careful  that  the  cut  is  perfectly  free  from 
raggedness  or  twist,  that  the  inner  edge  is  a  little  thinner  than 
the  outer,  and  that  the  length  of  your  wedge  is  proportioned 
to  the  depth,  to  which,  when  inserted,  it  will  open  the  cleft,  so 
that  they  will  as  nearly  as  possible  fit  throughout  (Fig.  113  b). 
Having  your  stock  and  graft  ready,  put  the  point  of  your  split- 
ting knife  into  the  crown  of  the  cleft  just  at  the  pith,  and 
strain  it  gently  open  while  you  adjust  the  outer  edge  of  the 
graft-wedge  to  the  bark  of  the  stock,  allowing  the  cleft  to  close 
upon  it  when  in  position.  It  is  then  ready  for  wrapping, 
Fig.  113  c. 


232 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


CLEFT   GRAFTING   LARGE   LIMBS   OR   TREES. 
Fig.  114. 

6      K  fitie 


a.  Large  stock  cleft  and  wedged  for  the  reception  of  the  grafts. 

b.  Large  stock  cleft  grafted. 

c.  Large  stock  cleft  grafted,  showing  the  excessive  opening  of  the  split,  and  the  difficulty 
of  fitting  the  graft  wedge  to  the  stock. 

d.  Shouldered  graft,  with  thin,  tongue-like  wedge,  to  obviate  the  difficulty  of  fitting  the 
graft  wedge  to  the  stock. 

e.  Thin-wedged,  shouldered  graft  inserted,  with  bud  resting  on  both  sides  of  the  cleft. 

In  cleft  grafting  large  trees  or  branches,  the  body  or  limb  is 
carefully  sawed  off  and  smoothed.  It  is  then  split  with  the 
curved  knife  of  the  grafting  tool,  which  should  be  driven  with 
repeated  gentle  blows  with  a  light  mallet  rather  than  with  a 
sudden  stroke ;  the  wedge  end  of  the  tool  is  then  inserted  at 
the  centre  to  keep  the  cleft  open,  or  a  wooden  wedge  is  used 
(Fig.  114  a),  while  a  graft  is  set  on  each  side,  the  graft  wedge 
being  cut  as  above  directed,  except  that  it  may  be  of  even 
thickness  on  both  edges,  the  cleft  in  this  case  being  equally 
open  on  both  sides  (Fig.  114  b). 

Owing  to  the  difficulty  experienced  in  cleft  grafting  large 
trees  on  account  of  the  depth  to  which  the  cleft  in  a  strong 
body  or  limb  will  open  (Fig.  114  c),  the  grafts  for  this  pur- 
pose are  sometimes  shouldered — that  is,  cut  square  in  on  both 
sides  at  the  upper  end  of  the  wedge,  and,  instead  of  a  true 
wedge,  a  thin,  wedge-like  tongue  is  formed  for  insertion  in  the 
cleft  (Fig.  114  d),  while  the  shouldering  is  carefully  made  just 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


233 


below  a  bud,  so  that  its  swell  may  rest  upon  the  bark  of  the 
stock  on  both  sides  of  the  cleft,  as  shown  Fig.  114  e. 


CROWN  GRAFTING. 
Fig.  115. 


a.  Shouldered  graft  for  crown  grafting. 

6.  A  simple  tapering  half-round  graft  for  crown  grafting. 

c.  A  large  tree  crown  grafted  and  ready  for  covering. 

d.  A  large  tree  or  limb  crown  grafted  and  covered  with  rag  and  composition. 

CROWN  GRAFTING  is  altogether  the  simplest,  easiest,  and 
most  desirable  mode  for  grafting  very  large  limbs  or  trees.  In 
this  process  the  head  or  limb  is  sawed  off  and  smoothed  as  for 
cleft  grafting,  but,  instead  of  splitting  the  stock,  the  grafting 
stiletto  (Fig.  98,  page  213)  is  carefully  passed  to  the  depth  of 
one  or  two  inches  between  the  bark  and  wood,  loosening  the 
former,  and  slightly  cracking  it  open,  when  the  graft,  which  is 
cut  only  on  one  side  as  a  tapering  half-round  wedge,  of  any 
desired  length,  and  with  or  without  a  shoulder  (Fig.  115  a,  b), 
is  firmly  set  in. 

Two,  three,  or  even  four  such  grafts  may  be  set  in  a  large 
limb  (Fig.  115  c,  <i),  their  number,  if  they  all  live,  hastening 
the  covering  of  the  stump  of  the  limb,  and  when  this  is  effected 
they  can  be  cut  away.  If  it  happen  that  they  grow  so  much 
the  first  season  as  to  be  in  danger  from  winds,  let  them  be 
slightly  shortened  in  August,  or  braced  ;  but  this  will  not  often 
be  necessary. 


234 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


TONGUE  GRAFTING. 
Fig.  116. 


a.  The  stock  prepared  for  tongue  grafting. 
6.  The  graft  prepared  for  tongue  grafting. 

c.  The  graft  set,  or  graft  and  stock  interlocked. 

d.  The  graft  set  and  bound,  ready  for  covering  with  grafting  mortar  or  composition. 

e.  A  length  of  a  one-year-old  seedling  root  tongue  grafted  and  wrapped  with  tow, 

and  ready  for  planting. 

TONGUE  GRAFTING  is  not  so  simple  as  cleft  or  crown  graft- 
ing, neither  is  it  any  more  successful,  but  it  is  much  better 
suited  to  very  young  stocks,  from  a  quarter  to  three  quarters  of 
an  inch  diameter,  and  is  sometimes  preferred  on  account  of  the 
greater  delicacy  of  handling  which  it  requires,  and  the  prompt- 
itude and  neatness  with  which  it  usually  heals  over. 

It  is  performed  in  the  following  manner:  the  stock  being 
cut  off  to  a  clear  spot  with  a  sloping  cut,  a  slice  or  tongue 
of  wood  is  cut  from  one  side,  one  or  two  inches  long,  to  the 
depth  of  from  one  to  two  thirds  the  diameter  of  the  stock  to  be 
grafted,  leaving  it,  except  in  the  greater  length  of  the  cut, 
much  like  the  mouth-piece  of  a  hunter's  whistle.  The  knife 
is  then  turned  edge  downward,  and  being  gradually  entered 
upon  the  face  of  this  cut,  about  one  third  down,  a  thin  tongue 
or  apron,  of  less  than  an  inch  in  length,  is  carefully  formed,  Fig. 
116  a.  The  graft  is  then  cut  of  a  length  to  match  with  the 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  235 

cut  upon  the  stock,  in  the  manner  directed  for  crown  grafting, 
leaving  it  a  clean,  regularly  tapering  half-round  wedge,"  with- 
out a  shoulder.  Being  then  turned  in  the  hand,  and  held  pre- 
cisely as  directed  for  the  bud-scion,  page  222,  and  with  just 
such  a  careful  movement  as  in  cutting  out  the  bud,  it  is 
tongued  thinly,  to  correspond  with  the  stock,  Fig.  116  b.  The 
two  tongues  or  aprons  are  then  interlocked,  care  being  taken  to 
fit  the  bark  of  the  graft  and  stock  accurately  together,  Fig. 
116  c.  It  must  then  be  bound  with  more  than  usual  care,  with 
bass  strips,  or  yarn,  or  rag,  Fig.  116  d,  and  covered  with  graft- 
ing composition  or  mortar,  as  Fig.  113  d,  e,  p.  230. 

Tongue  grafting  is  considerably  practiced  by  nursery-men, 
who  make  three  or  four  stocks  of  one  seedling  plant,  cutting  its 
tap-root  into  lengths,  washing  and  grafting  them  during  win- 
ter, and  binding  them  with  tow,  Fig.  116  e.  They  are  then 
placed  in  boxes  with  sand  until  spring,  when  they  are  set  out 
with  a  dibber,  in  the  manner  prescribed  for  setting  out  cab- 
bage-plants, leaving  one  bud  only  above  ground. 

INARCHING. 
Fig.  117. 


a,  6.  Companion  trees  tongued. 

c.  Stock  in  pot  upon  a  stand  inarched  with  a  branch,  with 

stay-bar. 

d.  Companion  trees  inarched  and  bound,  with  strain-bar 

Grafting  by  approach,  or  inarching,  is  a  peculiar  mode,  in 
which  we  take  a  whole  branch  or  small  head  instead  of  a  sin- 


236  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

gle  bud  or  a  small  portion  of  a  shoot,  and  unite  it  to  the  stock, 
with  or  without  heading  down  the  stock,  and  before  separating 
the  branch-graft  from  the  parent  tree. 

This  mode  of  grafting  is  used  chiefly  for  woody  flowering  or 
fruit-bearing  green-house  plants,  as  camelias,  oranges,  &c., 
which,  being  in  pots  or  boxes,  can  be  readily  adjusted  for  the 
process,  but  may  be  used  for  all  kinds  of  trees. 

It  is  performed  by  bringing  together  the  stems  of  companion 
trees,  using  a  strain  bar,  if  necessary,  to  control  their  position, 
or  arranging  in  contact  the  stem  of  the  stock  and  the  selected 
branch-graft  just  at  the  point  chosen,  and  uniting  them  by 
tongue  grafting,  forming  by  their  union  an  arch  (en-arching 
them),  of  which  the  graft  tongues  form  the  centre  or  key.  See 
Fig.  117,  c  and  d.  The  process  is  not  very  difficult.  Choose 
your  stock,  and  the  branch  or  head  you  propose  to  transfer  to 
it  of  equal  or  nearly  equal  size,  which  may  be  from  a  quarter 
to  rather  more  than  half  an  inch  diameter.  Trim  them,  or  ei- 
ther of  them,  as  you  may  find  needful,  to  permit  their  easy  ap- 
proach ;  then  cut  from  each,  precisely  at  their  point  of  contact, 
a  section  or  slice  of  equal  length  and  size — say  about  two  inch- 
es long — reaching  in  depth  to  about  one  third  their  diameter, 
the  knife  entering  and  coming  out  gradually  in  the  very  same 
manner  as  in  cutting  a  bud  from  the  scion.  See  p.  220.  If 
either  is  larger  than  the  other,  the  depth  of  cut  must  be  pro- 
portionably  shallower,  so  that  the  barks  on  both  their  sides 
may  match  with  exactness.  A  rather  stout  tongue  is  then 
cut  upon  each,  passing  the  knife  upward  from  about  a  quarter 
or  half  an  inch  below  the  centre  of  the  cut  upon  the  graft- 
branch,  and  downward  from  about  a  quarter  or  half  an  inch 
above  the  centre  of  that  upon  the  stock,  making  the  tongue 
upon  each  equal,  and  of  sufficient  length  to  permit  the  whole 
to  match.  See  Fig.  117  a.  These  must  then  be  carefully  and 
rather  firmly  interlocked,  care  being  taken  to  match  the  barks 
together  with  precision  throughout,  lengthening  the  cut  a  lit- 
tle upon  either  by  entering  the  knife  cautiously  between  them 
if  they  do  not  correspond  at  the  ends.  Bind  them  very  strong- 
ly with  bass  strips  or  other  ordinary  bandages,  and  cover  thick- 
ly with  grafting  mortar  or  composition. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  237 

When  inarching  is  to  be  performed  upon  plants  in  pots  or 
boxes,  arrange  a  firm  stand  for  the  plant  that  may  be  short,  so 
as  readily  to  bring  together  the  parts  to  be  operated  on,  mak- 
ing, however,  a  little  allowance  for  raising  or  lowering  the  one 
or  the  other  when  you  come  to  interlock  them.  If  there  is  any 
danger  of  disturbance,  a  stay,  consisting  of  a  piece  of  pine  board 
four  to  six  inches  wide,  may  be  lashed  to  the  stock  and  parent 
tree,  extending  from  near  the  root  of  the  shorter  (see  Fig. 
117  b) ;  and  if  the  graft-branch  does  not  easily  come  into  posi- 
tion to  form  a  handsome  head,  it  may  be  strained  or  drawn  a 
little  into  order  by  being  bound  to  a  stake  set  for  the  purpose, 
or  by  a  fastened  cord  stretched  to  some  firm  hold. 

If  well  done,  they  will  unite  by  what  surgeons  call  "  first  in- 
tention," and  in  a  few  weeks,  or  sometimes  months,  more  or 
less,  the  branch-graft  may  be  severed  from  the  parent  tree,  and 
the  head  of  the  stock  be  cut  off,  each  close  to  the  point  of 
union,  leaving  upon  the  new  tree  the  appearance  of  a  simple 
and  not  very  neat  splice,  which,  however,  the  subsequent 
growth  of  the  plant  will  rectify. 

The  possibility  of  making  this  mode  of  grafting  available  in 
fancy  and  ornamental  arrangements  will  at  once  occur  to  the 
intelligent  reader.  It  is  not  absolutely  necessary  to  tongue 
the  parts  if  they  are  well  matched  and  bound,  nor  to  separate 
the  graft  and  stock,  or  to  cut  off  either  of  them ;  but  in  ordi- 
nary cases  this  is  done  after  they  have  knitted  perfectly,  the 
severance  being  effected  gradually,  cutting  each  about  one  third 
through  at  a  time,  at  intervals  of  ten  or  twelve  days  or  more. 

TIME   OF   GRAFTING. 

Grafting  may  be  performed  at  any  time  during  the  winter 
upon  young  stocks  cellared  for  the  purpose,  and  kept  in  sand 
or  common  earth  until  the  opening  of  spring  permits  their  set- 
ting out. 

The  proper  time  of  grafting  on  ordinary  stocks  in  the  open 
ground  is  just  as  soon  as  the  circulation  begins  in  the  spring, 
and  before  the  growth  actually  commences.  This  differs  in 
different  trees  and  latitudes.  The  following  will  be  found  a 
good  general  order  of  grafting,  viz. :  Cherries,  plums,  pears, 


238  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

apples  ;  but  if  scions  are  cut  early  and  well  preserved,  grafting 
may  be  successfully  performed  by  a  skillful  hand. until  the 
trees  become  full-leaved,  though  earlier  grafting  is  to  be  pre- 
ferred. Crown  grafting  upon  large  limbs  should  be  deferred 
until  the  trees  are  just  ready  to  push  their  buds,  so  that  the 
stiletto  will  readily  open  the  bark  for  the  reception  of  the  graft- 
wedge. 

Inarching  may  be  performed,  like  other  grafting,  just  before 
growth  commences.  In  plants  that  are  housed,  as  camellias, 
&c.,  this  may  be  after  New  Year,  and  again  in  June,  but  in 
out-door  kinds  at  ordinary  spring-time. 

BINDING  UP  AND   COVERING. 

When  grafting  is  ^perforated  upon  stocks  before  planting 
them,  they  are  sometimes  not  bound  up  at  all ;  at  other  times, 
and  especially  when  they  are  small  seedling  stocks,  they  are 
wrapped  with  refuse  tow,  or  flax,  or  rag,  or  other  bandage  (see 
Fig.  116  e,  p.  234),  and  in  both  cases,  being  planted  sufficiently 
deep,  in  rows,  the  earth  is  ridged  slightly  along,  so  as  to  shed 
the  rain  and  substitute  for  other  protection.  When  grafted 
above  ground  by  either  of  the  modes  described,  except  cleft  and 
crown  grafting,  careful  bandaging  is  never  omitted  ;  but,  either 
with  bass  strips,  or  rags,  or  tow,  they  are  bound  firmly  to  their 
true  position,  and  covered  either  with  grafting  mortar  or  com- 
position, as  directed  hereafter.  In  cleft  and  crown  grafting, 
the  graft  is  generally  held  with  sufficient  firmness  to  its  posi- 
tion by  the  -stock,  and  requires  only  covering  from  the  air  and 
moisture,  which  is  effected  either  by  coating  it  with  composi- 
tion (No.  1),  or  binding  it  with  rags  coated  with  or  soaked  in 
the  composition ;  or  binding  or  wrapping  it  first  with  rag  or 
other  material,  and  applying  with  a  brush  one  or  other  of  the 
compositions  described  on  another  page  ;  or  by  forming  around 
it  a  ball  of  grafting  mortar  as  large  as  a  goose  egg.  This  must 
be  so  applied  as  not  to  press  the  graft  out  of  place,  and,  being 
moulded  to  an  oval  or  egg  form  four  or  five  inches  long,  with 
the  upper  and  smaller  end  carefully  closed,  and  the  larger  end 
well  set  around  the  stock  just  below  the  wrapping,  it  is  nicely 
finished  by  dipping  the  hands  in  a  little  dry  dust  or  ashes,  and 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  239 

giving  it  the  proper  shape  (Fig.  113  e,  p.  230).  Care  is  re- 
quired in  the  binding  to  avoid  drawing  the  bandage  into  a 
string  around  the  neck  of  the  graft ;  otherwise,  when  it  swells, 
the  bandage  will  cut  in,  and  soon  the  wind  will  snap  it  off. 
At  this  point  let  the  wrapping  be  free  as  possible,  and  in  put- 
ting on  either  the  composition  or  mortar,  be  sure  that  no  small 
hole  or  fissure  is  left  for  water  to  settle  into  the  cleft  or  other 
opening  in  which  the  graft  is  inserted. 

GRAFTING  COMPOSITION. 
No.  1. 

Equal  parts  of  rosin,  beeswax,  and  tallow,  melted  together 
and  worked  into  toughness  by  kneading  and  pulling,  as  molas- 
ses, when  boiled  down,  is  made  into  taffy.  It  may  be  kept  in 
water,  and  used  without  bandages.  Being  warmed  in  the  hand 
for  use,  it  is  made  into  small,  thin  sheets  as  wanted,  and  pressed 
closely  over  the  wounds  and  around  the  grafts,  so  as  to  exclude 
air  and  water,  a  little  grease  being  used  to  prevent  its  stick- 
ing to  the  fingers. 

No.  2. 

Two  parts  rosin,  one  or  one  and  a  half  part. beeswax,  and 
half  or  three  fourths  of  a  part  tallow,  melted  together  as  No.  1, 
and  spread  with  a  brush  while  warm  on  rag  or  cheap  muslin, 
which  may  be  cut  or  torn  into  strips  or  patches  as  wanted  for 
use ;  or  the  strips  or  patches  may  be  soaked  in  the  composi- 
tion. Or  the  graft  may  be  bound  with  dry  rag,  the  loose  end 
being  sealed  down  with  a  touch  of  the  composition,  and  the 
whole  covered  with  a  coat  laid  on  warm  with  a  brush,  the  com- 
position being  kept  melted  over  a  furnace  or  pot  of  embers. 

No.  3. 

Two  parts  pitch,  two  parts  rosin,  one  part  beeswax,  one  part 
tallow,  and  one  part  turpentine,  melted  together  and  boiled  for 
half  an  hour.  This  is,  on  the  whole,  superior  to  the  former, 
and  may  be  used  as  that,  either  spread  on  the  rag  before  wrap- 
ping, or  laid  on  with  a  brush  after  the  graft  has  been  bound, 
being  kept  melted  for  this  purpose. 


240  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

GRAFTING   MORTAR. 

What  is  called  grafting  mortar  is  made  either  by  mixing 
strong  loam  or  clay  with  an  indefinite  proportion  of  horse-dung 
or  cut  straw,  or  both,  working  it  up  to  the  consistence  of  mor- 
tar thoroughly  and  repeatedly  to  toughen  it.  When  required 
for  use,  it  should  be  a  little  stiffer  than  potter's  clay. 

Instead  of  the  above,  equal  parts  of  strong  loam  and  cow-dung 
may  be  used,  to  be  prepared  and  applied  in  the  same  manner. 

AFTER-TREATMENT. 

Newly-set  grafts  should  be  watched  throughout  the  season, 
to  stop  and  restop  any  holes  or  cracks  which  the  heat  of  sum- 
mer or  the  swelling  growth  may  occasion  in  the  coating  which 
defends  them,  and  to  slacken  the  bandages  by  cutting  them 
through  at  the  back  of  the  stock  whenever  there  is  danger  of 
their  cutting  into  the  stock  or  graft.  The  growth  of  the  graft 
should  also  be  observed,  and  a  proper  form  and  direction  given 
to  it  by  nipping  or  tying  up,  as  may  be  found  necessary. 

In  addition  to  these  precautions,  young  stocks  budded  or 
grafted  should  be  kept  carefully  clear  of  natural  or  stock  shoots, 
all  of  which  must  be  removed  as  soon  as  they  appear.  The 
hand,  defended  by  a  stout  glove,  may  be  rubbed  harshly  around 
or  down  the  stock  while  they  are  yet  quite  tender,  and  it  is  done. 

But  larger  and  older  trees  require  different  treatment.  Only 
a  part  of  the  limbs  of  a  large  tree  should  be  grafted  at  one 
time,  so  that  there  may  be  a  sufficient  supply  of  leaves  pro- 
duced to  effect  a  healthful  circulation  in  the.  tree ;  and,  for 
the  same  reason,  much  of  the  young  growth  may  be  suffered  to 
remain  upon  the  limbs  that  are  grafted,  to  keep  those  parts 
in  vigor.  If  these  precautions  are  neglected,  the  full  graft- 
ing of  a  large  tree  will  generally  kill  it,  or  portions  of  it. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  the  moment  it  is  seen  that  the  grafts 
have  taken,  care  must  be  given  that  no  strong,  gluttonous 
shoots  are  put  forth  near  them,  but  all  such  as  seem  likely 
to  become  stronger  than  the  graft  growth  should  be  nipped 
from  time  to  time,  to  check  them  and  strengthen  it. 

In  succeeding  years,  the  remaining  limbs  may  be  grafted, 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


241 


and  the  needless  branches  and  sprouts  cut  away  in  the  course 
of  winter  pruning,  having  regard  always  to  the  necessities  of 
the  system  of  circulation  in  the  individual  tree. 


HEIGHT   OF   STEM. 
Fig.  118. 


a.  Orchard  tree,  with  stem  seven  to  nine  feet  high. 

b.  Orchard  tree,  with  stem  four  to  five  feet  high. 

c.  A  dwarf  tree,  trimmed  into  conical  form. 

d.  A  dwarf  tree,  conical,  but  formed  with  drooping  habit. 

In  rearing  the  young  tree  from  the  bud  or  graft,  we  usually 
determine  the  height  of  its  stem  when  ready  for  bearing.     It 


242  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

is  therefore  plain  that  we  may  take  our  choice  of  low  or  high 
trees,  tall  or  short  stems.  The  general  practice  has  been  to 
set  out  trees  with  tall  stems,  or  trim  them  up  tall  afterward, 
Fig.  118  a.  This  perhaps  may  have  arisen  from  the  too  preva- 
lent habit  of  suffering  cattle  to  run  in  our  young  orchards, 
which  is  as  outrageous  as  it  would  be  to  stable  them  in  our 
parlors.  It  is  difficult  to  change  habits,  even  after  the  reason 
for  their  formation  has  passed  away ;  but  it  is  clear  that  or- 
chard trees  with  short  stems,  say  four  or  five  feet  high,  are,  on 
many  accounts,  more  desirable  than  tall  ones.  (See  Fig.  118 
b.)  They  are  much  more  readily  pruned,  the  fruit  is  more  ea- 
sily gathered,  and  thus  much  labor  saved.  A  certain  farmer, 
scarcely  yet  in  middle  life,  has  an  orchard  of  sixty  russeting 
apples,  grafted  and  planted  by  himself  when  a  boy,  which 
yielded  in  1856  some  six  hundred  barrels  of  fruit,  half  of 
which  could  be  gathered  without  bench  or  ladder  by  a  man  of 
ordinary  height  standing  upon  the  ground. 

Fruit  is  not  so  readily  blown  off  from  low  trees  as  high  ones, 
and  when  it  falls  is  less  injured  for  use  or  market.  The  main 
stem  of  a  short  tree  is  also  less  exposed  to  injury  from  the  sun 
and  from  late  spring  frost,  the  latter  sometimes  bursting  the 
vessels  in  which  the  heat  of  the  former  has  caused  the  circula- 
tion to  start. 

Insects  do  not  so  readily  select  a  tree  partially  shaded  as  a 
place  of  deposit  for  their  eggs,  instinct  telling  them  that  they 
need  the  sun  to  hatch  them. 

Shorter  stems  for  orchard  trees,  and  higher  fences  for  or- 
chards, will  be  found  decided  improvements. 

Very  low-stemmed  trees,  or  "  dwarfs,"  are  sometimes  pruned 
into  a  pyramidal,  or,  rather,  conical  shape,  by  suffering  all  the 
young  side  shoots  to  grow,  and  nipping  their  extremities,  short- 
ening also  the  main  shoot  or  leader,  Fig.  118  c;  or,  with  the 
same  general  form,  a  drooping  habit  is  given  to  the  young  tree 
by  tying  downward  the  points  of  the  young  branches,  Fig.  118 
d  ;  and  these  and  other  fancies  may  be  pursued  to  any  extent. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  243 


CHAPTER  XVH. 

Setting  out  Trees,  preparing  Holes,  &c. — Tables  of  Arrangement  of -Dis- 
tances, Area,  &c. — After-culture. — Combination  of  .Fruits. 

SETTING  OUT. 

FOR  all  kinds  of  trees  that  are  perfectly  hardy,  early  fall 
planting  is  to  be  preferred.  If  the  earth  is  sufficiently  moist 
to  allow  of  their  being  well  taken  up,  they  should  be  removed 
as  soon  as  the  circulation  is  checked,  or  say  when  the  first 
frost  causes  a  fall  of  the  leaves.  Trees  that  are  liable  to  in- 
jury from  the  winter,  as  peach,  and,  in  some  places,  cherry, 
should,  in  such  localities,  be  set  out  only  in  the  spring. 

In  choosing  trees  for  setting  out,  those  of  moderate  or  even 
small  size  are  generally  to  be  preferred.  Large  trees  suffer 
more  by  removal,  and  require  more  prompt  and  -abundant  sup- 
plies to  start  them  again  vigorously.  They  are  also  more  dif- 
ficult and  expensive  to  transport ;  yet,  if  not  removed  far,  and 
the  directions  for  planting,  given  page  245,  are  observed,  they 
may  be  very  successfully  transplanted,  and,  if  well  cared  for  by 
being  staked  and  mulched,  and,  if  need  be,  manured  after  set- 
ting out,  will  come  quickly  into  bearing. 

In  general,  however,  fruit-trees  should  be  set  out  where  they 
are  expected  to  remain  in  the  second  or  third  year  from  the 
graft  or  bud,  except  peach-trees,  which,  being  commonly  bud- 
ded in  the  fall  of  their  first  year's  growth  from  the  seed,  may 
be  advantageously  set  out  in  the  spring  of  their  second  year, 
before  the  bud  sprouts,  and,  being  properly  headed  down,  the 
bud  will  make  a  strong  growth  before  fall,  and  be  benefited  by 
remaining  undisturbed  from  the  start.  If  preferred,  however, 
the  common  mode  may  be  followed,  which  is  to  allow  the  bud 
to  make  a  year's  growth  before  the  setting  out. 

The  resetting  of  trees  in  their  previous  relative  positions  as 
to  their  north  and  south  sides  was  formerly  deemed  of  impor- 
tance, but  is  of  no  practical  consequence. 

In  general,  the  depth  at  which  they  are  set  should  be  about 


244 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


that  at  which  they  have  previously  stood,  or  a  little  deeper, 
particularly  if  set  out  in  the  fall. 

For  special  objects,  or  upon  small  lots,  dwarfed  fruit-trees 
may  be  found  desirable,  but  they  are  not  to  be  relied  on  as  per- 
manent, nor  even  of  long  continuance,  without  special  care  and 
high  culture,  and  are  not,  therefore,  recommended,  except  for 
intermediate  planting,  or  for  fancy,  or  in  soils  or  climates  un- 
favorable to  the  production  of  fruit  upon  more  vigorous  stocks. 

If  dwarfed  trees  are  worked  low,  near  the  collar  of  the  stock, 
and  in  the  final  transplanting  are  set  pretty  deep,  so  that  the 
joint  is  covered  five  or  six  inches,  roots  will  in  due  time  be 
thrown  out  from  the  graft,  and  these,  being  stronger  and  more 
natural  than  the  roots  of  the  dwarfing  stock,  which  may  even 
perish  after  the  new  roots  are  formed,  the  tree  will  thence  ac- 
quire additional  strength,  approximating  in  effect  to  a  tree 
raised  from  a  cutting,  and  having  a  character  intermediate  be- 
tween an  ordinary  dwarfed  tree  and  one  grafted  upon  a  seed- 
ling stock.  It  will  be  longer  lived  than  the  former,  but  not 
equal  to  the  latter  in  the  vigor  of  its  roots,  yet  by  careful  sum- 
mer pruning,  as  directed  page  254,  it  may,  for  certain  kinds  or 
in  particular  localities,  be  preferred,  and  become  a  substitute 
for  both,  but,  like  the  ordinary  dwarfed  tree,  will  always  de- 
mand extra  care. 


SHORTENING   THE   ROOTS   AND   TOP. 
Fig.  119. 


a.  Young  tree  pruned  ready 
for  setting  out. 

&.  Young  tree  pruned,  and 
set  out  upon  a  wet-soil  surface, 
the  roots  being  covered  by  bill- 
ing up,  staked,  and  mulched. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  245 

If  trees  could  ordinarily  be  removed  with  their  roots  from 
stem  to  extremity  uninjured,  the  top  also  might  be  safely  left 
entire,  and  the  operation  would  be  equivalent  to  no  removal,  so 
far  as  the  growth  of  the  tree  is  concerned.  But  the  roots  of 
trees  usually  extend  as  far,  and  often  farther,  than  their  tops, 
so  that  in  practice  this  is  entirely  out  of  the  question ;  it  is 
only  in  the  removal  of  trees  in  winter,  with  heavy  balls  of 
earth,  that  we  even  partially  attain  this  object.  In  all  ordi- 
nary cases  of  removal,  excepting  those  trees  which  may  have 
uncommonly  short,  fibrous  roots,  the  larger  portion  of  the  spon- 
gioles,  which  form  the  utmost  extremities  of  all  the  roots,  are 
separated*  from  the  tree,  and  still  others  of  them  are  often 
bruised  or  dried  before  the  replanting  of  the  tree.  In  this 
state  of  the  case,  since  we  can  not  preserve,  we  seek  a  process 
that  will  quickly  reproduce  them ;  that  process  is  judicious 
shortening  of  both  roots  and  top  (Fig.  119  a).  In  this,  as  in 
ordinary  pruning,  there  is  doubtless  somewhere  a  precise  line 
of  right,  an  exact  limit ;  but  as  we  have  no  immediate  and 
palpable  means  of  discovering  this,  we  endeavor  to  approach  it 
by  proportioning,  according  to  our  best  judgment,  the  one  to 
the  other.  If,  in  ordinary  cases,  one  third  of  the  root  is  sacri- 
ficed in  the  taking  up  and  shortening,  we -shorten  or  lessen  the 
weight  of  the  top  to  about  the  same  extent. 

In  general,  all  the  roots  and  all  the  branches  should  be  op- 
erated upon,  and  in  shortening  the  former,  the  cut  should  be 
made  with  a  keen  knife  on  the  under  side,  and  sloping  outward, 
so  that,  when  planted,  the  face  of  the  cut  will  rest  upon  the 
earth,  affording  a  natural  position  for  throwing  out  its  young 
rootlets.  The  pruning  of  the  top,  also,  should  be  done  in  a 
manner  to  balance  the  tree  and  secure  an  outward  growth  of 
the  shoots,  which  will,  in  the  main,  be  effected  by  cutting  from 
within  outward,  just  above  a  bud  situated  on  the  under  or  out- 
side of  the  young  shoot. 

PREPARING  HOLES  AND   PLANTING. 

In  preparing  for  setting  out  trees,  the  holes  should  be  made 
much  larger  and  deeper  than  is  common.  In  digging  them,  let 
the  surface  soil  be  kept  by  itself;  when  the  subsoil  is  thrown 


246  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

out  to  a  sufficient  depth,  the  bottom  of  the  hole  should  be  loosen- 
ed, and  a  portion  of  the  surface  soil  or  rich  earth  mixed  with 
it,  filling  up  the  hole  so  far  as  may  be  necessary  to  suit  the 
root.  Having  the  root  properly  trimmed,  set  it  carefully  in 
position,  with  the  fibres  spread  naturally,  and  fill  in  gradually 
with  good  earth  finely  pulverized,  shaking  the  root  gently 
once  or  twice  to  secure  the  filling  up  of  any  open  spaces. 
When  the  roots  are  well  covered  with  the  earth,  take  the  body 
of  the  tree  in  your  hands,  and,  holding  it  true,  press  the  earth 
with  the  foot  upon  the  roots  with  moderate  firmness  ;  then  fill 
up  the  hole  about  level  with  the  surface,  •hilling  a  little  if  the 
planting  is  done  in  the  fall,  and  dishing  slightly  i£  done  in 
the  spring. 

If  your  soil  be  very  wet,  dig  the  holes  as  above  directed,  and 
refill  them  again  to  the  surface,  or  very  nearly,  and,  spreading 
the  roots  upon  this  loose  surface,  hill  the  earth  over  them,  and 
carefully  stake  your  tree.  In  wet  soils  of  a  deep  boggy  or 
mucky  nature,  and  that  can  not  be  drained,  holes  need  not  be 
dug,  but  the  tree  may  be  set  immediately  upon  the  sod,  and 
covered  by  hilling  largely,  staking  it  strongly,  and  mulching 
it.  See  Fig.  119  b,  p.  244. 

Whenever  it  is  found  necessary  at  the  setting  out  to  stake 
trees,  it  would  be  well  to  have  the  stakes  set  firmly  into  the 
holes  and  ranged  with  precision  before  removing  the  trees,  in 
which  case  they  may  be  easily  and  accurately  arranged  in  po- 
sition by  being  afterward  set  uniformly  upon  the  same  side  of 
the  stake  ;  but,  whether  set  before  or  after,  let  them  be  firmly 
bound  to  the  stake  with  a  straw  or  other  coarse  band,  passing 
and  crossed  between  the  tree  and  the  stake,  so  that,  in  case  of 
frequent  winds,  it  will  prevent  rubbing ;  and  having  spread 
around  them,  if  it  is  spring,  coarse  litter,  or  straw,  or  loose 
rubbish  of  any  kind,  as  mulching,  weight  it  with  a  few  stones 
to  keep  it  in  place,  and  your  work  is  done  (Fig.  119  6,  p.  244). 

If  drought  occur,  you  may,  if  you  deem  it  necessary,  apply 
water  through  the  covering  of  mulch  or  litter ;  but  avoid  the 
not  uncommon  practice  of  pouring  pails  of  water  into  the  holes 
when  planting,  by  which  the  earth,  which  should  be  loose  and 
friable,  is  made  into  mud  or  mortar,  which  a  succeeding  heat 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


247 


may  bake  to  brick.     Plant  seasonably  and  carefully,  and  you 
will  plant  successfully. 

ARRANGEMENT  AND  DISTANCES. 

If  found  desirable,  as  it  often  will  be,  one  or  more  of  the 
plots  of  the  garden  may  be  appropriated  to  fruits,  in  which 
case,  as  in  planting  orchards,  whether  the  various  kinds  of 
fruit  are  combined  or  not,  the  trees  should  not  be  arranged  in 
exact  squares,  but  in  the  alternated  or  diamond  form — that  is, 
so  that  each  row  will  line  either  way,  not  with  the  row  adjoin- 
ing it,  but  with  that  which  is  next  but  one.  The  distance  at 
which  they  are  to  be  set  should  be  carefully  decided  in  view 
of  the  character  and  condition  of  the  particular  varieties  you 
intend  to  plant,  their  modes  of  growth,  and  times  of  ripening 
their  fruit,  as  well  as  the  nature  of  the  soil  in  which  they  are 
to  stand,  and  the  after-treatment  they  are  to  receive. 

The  following  table  will  afford  at  a  glance  the  data  necessa- 
ry to  the  arrangement  of  their  relative  distances,  and  show  the 
area  of  surface  allowed  to  each  by  such  arrangement. 

TABLE  SHOWING  THE  DISTANCE  EVERY  WAY  BETWEEN  TREES  PLANTED  IN 

THE    ALTERNATED    OR    DIAMOND    FORM,    AT    VARIOUS    WIDTHS,    WITH    THE 

AREA  OR  NUMBER  OF  SQUARE  FEET  OF  SURFACE  TO  EACH  TREE,  AND 
THE  NUMBER  OF  TREES  UPON  AN  ACRE. 


Widths  apart. 

Equidistant  from 
each  other. 

Area  or  Number  of  Square  Feet 
of  Surface  to  each  Tree. 

Number  of  Trees 
per  Acre. 

40  feet  by  34 

40  feet. 

1360  feet. 

32 

35 

29 

35 

1015 

43 

30 

25 

30 

750 

58 

25 

21 

25 

525 

83 

20 

17 

20 

340 

128 

15 

9 

15 

135 

322 

10 

8 

10 

80 

544 

8 

7 

8 

56 

778 

6 

5 

6 

30 

1452 

5 

4 

5 

20 

2178 

If  for  any  cause  it  is  deemed  preferable  to  plant  in  squares, 
the  following  table  will  be  found  useful,  and  its  smaller  figures 
may  aid  calculations  of  vegetable  field-crops. 


248 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 


TABLE  SHOWING  THE  NUMBER  OF  TREES  OR  PLANTS  THAT  MAT  BE  SET 
UPON  AN  ACRE  AT  THE  GIVEN  DISTANCES  APART,  OMITTING  FRACTIONS. 


Distance  apart. 

Number  of  Trees  or 
Plants  per  Acre. 

Distance  apart. 

Number  of  Trees  or 
Plants  per  Acre. 

40  feet  by  40 

27 

10  feet  by  7 

G22 

35 

35 

35 

10 

6 

726 

30 

30 

48 

10 

5 

871 

25 

25 

69 

5 

5 

1,742 

20 

20 

108 

5 

4 

2,178 

20 

15 

145 

5 

3 

2,904 

20 

10 

217 

5 

2 

4,356 

20 

5 

435 

5 

1 

8,712 

15 

15 

193 

4 

4 

2,722 

15 

10 

290 

3 

3 

4,840 

15 

5 

580 

3 

2 

7,260 

10 

10 

435 

2 

2 

10,890 

10 

9 

i     484 

2 

1 

21,780 

10 

8 

544 

1 

1 

43,560 

AFTER-CULTURE. 

Whenever  young  fruit-trees  are  set  out,  the  land  around  them 
should  be  well  cultivated,  at  least  for  several  years.  In  ar- 
ranging for  this,  hilled  crops  are  to  be  preferred ;  and,  what- 
ever may  be  done  with  th'e  intermediate  spaces,  let  the  lines 
of  crop  run  so  that  each  tree  will  occupy  the  position  of  a  hill, 
receiving  the  same  manuring  and  care  through  the  season.  If, 
from  any  necessity,  the  land  is  laid  down  to  grass,  or  young 
trees  are  planted  in  sod,  let  a  space  be  annually  dug  around 
each  equal  to  the  spread  of  the  top,  and  a  liberal  supply  of 
liquid  or  other  manure  be  regularly  given  in  the  fall. 

MANURING   FRUIT-TREES. 

In  general,  after  they  attain  age  and  come  into  bearing,  fruit- 
trees  should  be  only  moderately  manured.  A  little  salt  may 
be  spread  widely  around  them  in  the  spring,  or  air-slaked  or 
old  lime  at  the  rate  of  ten  to  twenty  bushels  to  the  acre.  Pot- 
ash, in  the  form  of  spent  ashes,  which  usually  contain  also 
sufficient  lime,  charcoal  dust,  coal  ashes,  chip  manure,  or  the 
scrapings  up  of  the  wood-pile,  crushed  bones  or  bone-dust,  de- 
caying wood,  or  swamp-muck  without  composting.  Liquid  ma- 
nure of  any  kind  may  also  be  cautiously  applied.  Animal 
matter,  as  horn  shavings,  wool  waste,  &c.,  &£.,  is  valuable,  but 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  249 

care  should  be  taken  to  apply  it  rather  in  deficiency  tnan  in 
excess,  watching  the  effect  upon  the  trees  in  your  own  partic- 
ular locality  and  soil,  and  repeating  or  discontinuing  its  use 
accordingly,  always  aiming  to  induce  moderate  and  regular 
growth,  and  steady  rather  than  excessive  bearing. 

In  orchard  culture,  where  the  plow  can  be  freely  used,  it  will 
be  found  a  good  practice  to  plow  carefully  once  every  third  or 
fourth  year,  turning  under,  if  convenient,  a  very  light  coat  of 
barn-yard  manure  with  the  sod,  and  harrowing  in  thoroughly 
from  fifteen  to  thirty  bushels  of  lime  per  acre ;  seed  immedi- 
ately with  clover,  or  clover  and  orchard  grass ;  and  top-dress 
annually  with  eighty  or  a  hundred  pounds  of  plaster  to  the 
acre,  or  alternate  this  with  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  of 
guano,  or  twenty  bushels  of  ashes,  and  your  orchard  will  thrive 
and  your  land  improve. 

COMBINATION   OP   FRUITS. 

In  the  cultivation  of  various  fruits,  it  is  often  agreeable,  and 
may  sometimes  economize  land  and  labor  to  combine  them  in 
the  same  orchard  or  plot.  Thus,  if  apple-trees  on  common 
stocks  are  planted  in  alternated  rows  forty  feet  by  thirty-four, 
they  may  be  filled  in  with  dwarf  trees  of  any  desired  kinds  by 
planting  them  in  the  line  of  the  orchard  trees  at  ten  feet  apart, 
with  two  full  rows  at  the  same  distance  between,  in  the  thirty- 
four  feet  spaces,  which  will  allow  the  rows  to  be  made  eleven 
and  one  third  feet  apart.  The  trees  in  a  plot  thus  filled  up 
will  stand  at  right  angles,  eleven  and  one  third  by  ten  feet  dis- 
tance, each  having  one  hundred  and  thirteen  and  a  third  square 
feet  of  space.  See  Plan  No.  1,  A,  A,  B,  B,  B. 

The  smaller  trees  are  to  be  removed  gradually  as  the  ad- 
vancing growth  of  the  main  orchard  may  require. 

In  planting  pear-trees,  twenty-five  feet  by  twenty-one,  or 
twenty  by  seventeen,  a  single  row  of  dwarfed  pears  may  be 
planted  each  way  in  like  manner,  standing  twelve  and  a  half 
feet  by  ten,  or  ten  by  eight  and  a  half.  Cherry,  pear,  or  high- 
stemmed  quince-trees  may  be  set  to  advantage  in  the  rows  of 
raspberries,  blackberries,  gooseberries,  or  currants,  also  along 
the  centre  of  strawberry-beds,  and  it  will  be  found  a  good  mode 

L2 


250  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

of  combination  in  either  quince  or  pear  plot  to  place  the  rows 
say  twenty-two  by  twenty  feet  apart,  or  twenty-two  by  ten  feet 
if  preferred,  each  row  standing  in  the  centre  of  a  strip  four 
feet  wide,  for  strawberries  (Plan  No.  2,  A,  C),  while  at  seven 
feet  distance  from  each  row  of  trees  a  row  of  either  of  the 
smaller  fruits  above  named  is  planted  at  from  four,  to  eight 
feet  apart  in  the  row,  at  discretion,  leaving  eight  feet  space  in 
the  centre,  and  affording  ample  room  for  their  cultivation  with 
the  plow,  or  for  planting  small  vegetable  crops  between  them, 
if  desired.  See  Plan  No.  2,  B,  B,  p.  251. 

In  this,  or  any  other  mode  devised,  fruits  may  be  profitably 
combined,  provided  the  necessary  surface  space  be  afforded  to 
each,  and  suitable  care  and  high  culture  be  given  to  them. 

PLAN  OF  COMBINATION  OF  FRUITS. 

No.  1.  * 

APPLE   ORCHARD   FILLED   IN   WITH    DWARF   TREES. 
Fig.  120. 


(A)    X      ;;      X 

O  * 

x    x   O  x    x 

x    O 

BX'    X      X      X 

X      X 

X      X       X     X      X 

X       X 

BX     x     x     x 

X     X 

X     X       X     X      X 

X       X 

BX     x    Q    x 

X     X 

O  x    x    x  O 

\f.         ^C 

®     • 

O 

O 

O 

A.  (Circles.)    Apple-trees  forty  by  thirty-four  feet :  area  for  each  tree  one  thousand 
three  hundred  and  sixty  feet. 

B.  (Stars.)    Dwarf  apples,  pears,  or  quinces,  ten  by  eleven  and  one  third  feet :  area  foi 
each  tree  one  hundred  and  thirteen  and  a  third  feet. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  251 

No.  2. 

PEARS,  WITH  STRAWBERRIES,  AND    CURRANTS   OR    GOOSEBER- 
RIES, &C. 

Fig.  120. 


Bxx     x      xxxxx      xx     xx     x 
Bx    x     x     X     x     x     x      x       x     x      x   x       x 

>r  -7^N 

£-—-~"(^J 
XXX 

xxx 

A,  A.  (Circles.)    Pears  twenty  feet  by  twenty-two,  or  ten  feet  by  twenty-two,  standing 
along  the  centre  of  strawberry  beds. 

B,  B.  (Stars.)     Gooseberries,  or  currants,  or  raspberries,  four  to  eight  feet  apart. 
0,  C.  Strawberries ;  bed  four  feet  wide. 

LABELING   AND    DIAGRAM. 

All  fruit-trees  should  be  labeled  when  planted,  and,  in  ad- 
dition to  this,  a  correct  diagram  of  each  plot  should  be  pre- 
pared, so  that  at  a  glance  the  name  of  every  variety  you  pos- 
sess may  be  known.  See  page  215. 


CHAPTER  XVIH. 

Pruning;  various  Objects,  Periods,  and  Modes  of. — Cleaning  and  Scrap- 
ing Fruit-trees. — Fruiting ;  healthful  Tendency  to. — The  Law  of  prema- 
ture or  forced  Fruiting,  and  various  Modes  of  its  Application. 

PRUNING. 

WE  prune  to  weaken  and  to  strengthen,  and  often  simply  to 
balance — that  is,  to  check  or  invigorate  relative  portions  of  the 
same  tree  or  plant,  to  give  it  symmetry,  or  promote  its  blos- 
soming and  fruitfulness. 

It  becomes  important  clearly  to  distinguish  the  varieties  of 
a  process  from  which  such  varied  results  are  obtained.  The 


252 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 


one  we  will  call  winter  pruning,  though,  for  convenience,  it  is 
often  done  in  the  fall  or  spring ;  the  other  summer  pruning, 
though  performed  from  the  first  putting  forth  of  the  leaves  in 
spring  until  the  middle  of  the  fall.  In  addition  to  which, 
there  is  the  rarely  performed  operation  of  root  pruning,  which, 
though  more  immediately  effective  if  done  in  August,  may  be 
performed  at  any  season. 

rig.  121. 


O.  A  tree  of  one  year's  growth  from  the  bud,  cut  back. 
&.  A  tree  of  two  years'  growth  from  the  bud,  cut  back. 

c.  A  nursery  tree  pruned  ready  for  setting  out,  showing  the  shoulders  where  the  young 
branches  have  been  cut  off. 

d.  An  orchard  tree  ready  to  come  into  bearing,  with  the  head  opened  by  winter  pruning. 

WINTER  PRUNING. 

Winter  pruning  is  the  common  shortening  of  seedling  stocks 
when  we  transplant  them  into  nursery  rows,  the  cutting  back 
and  fashioning  which  we  commonly  perform  in  the  course  of 
their  nursery  culture  and  at  their  final  transplanting,  and  the 
annual  trimming  throughout  their  mature  growth,  for  forming 
and  strengthening  the  tree. 

In  young  trees  it  is  generally  called  "  cutting  back,"  be- 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  253 

cause  the  shoots  of  the  previous  year  are  shortened  in  the  op- 
eration (Fig.  121  a,  6). 

The  vigor  of  the  subsequent  growth  is  commonly  in  direct 
proportion  to  the  extent  to  which  this  pruning  is  carried,  heavy 
pruning  being  followed  by  strong  growth,  and  vice  versa.  It 
is  the  natural  tendency  of  the  growth  to  push  from  the  extrem- 
ities, but  the  leading  shoot  of  a  stock  three  fourths  of  an  inch 
in  diameter  at  the  butt,  and  four  or  five  feet  high,  if  left  un- 
pruned,  may  grow  two  feet  or  so  upward  in  a  season ;  if  cut 
back  to  within  two  or  three  buds  of  the  previous  year's  growth, 
it  will  usually  more  than  double  this  growth,  either  in  a  sin- 
gle shoot  or  more  ;  while,  if  cut  down  near  the  root  for  grafting 
or  otherwise,  or  having  been  budded  the  previous  fall,  it  will, 
with  ordinary  care,  push  upward  a  strong  fine  growth  from 
five  to  nine  feet,  the  roots  also  being  strengthened  by  the  op- 
eration. All  winter  pruning  of  young  or  old  trees  should  be 
performed  with  as  little  injury  as  possible  to  the  bark ;  every 
young  shoot  cut  away  should  be  taken  off  just  outside  the 
shoulder  or  swell  at  its  base,  leaving  this  upon  the  stem  to 
heal  over  and  strengthen  the  tree  (Fig.  121  c).  If  severe 
wounds  are  made,  coat  them  with  paint,  or  pitch,  or  grafting 
composition,  No.  3,  or  shellac  dissolved  in  alcohol. 

Winter  pruning  applied  to  trees  after  they  are  planted  out 
to  bear  is  chiefly  intended  to  open  the  head  for  light  and  air, 
to  allow  of  movinjg  freely  in  the  tree  for  gathering  the  fruit, 
and  to  keep  its  form  symmetrical  (Fig.  121  d). 

EXCESSIVE  WINTER  PRUNING. 

Sometimes,  in  neglected  orchards,  so  much  cutting  seems 
necessary  to  open  the  head  of  the  tree,  and  permit  the  easy 
gathering  of  the  fruit,  that  an  inexperienced  cultivator  is 
tempted  clumsily  to  overdo  the  work ;  and  this  excessive  and 
coarse  pruning  induces  a  strong  upright  growth  of  barren, 
gluttonous  shoots,  which,  if  left  to  grow,  disfigure  and  injure 
the  trees  (Fig.  122,  page  254).  Let  all  your  trees  be  careful- 
ly pruned  while  young,  never  permitting  an  ill-placed  or  a 
superfluous  shoot  to  grow  more  than  a  single  season  at  the 
most ;  and  if  pruning  an  orchard  that  has  suffered  from  pre- 


254 


AMEEICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


Fig- 122-      .  vious  neglect,  watch  it,  and  prevent 

gluttonous  growth  by  nipping  and 
summer  pruning.  Winter  pruning 
may  generally  be  performed  at  any 
time  between  the  first  black  frost  in 
fall  and  the  opening  of  spring  ;  but 
the  fall,  except,  perhaps.,  in  cli- 
mates of  excessive  severity,  is  great- 
ly preferable  for  this  purpose,  the 
cuts  being  made  at  a  little  distance 
outside  of  the  extreme  bud  left  upon 
the  branch. 

SUMMER  PRUNING. 

Summer  pruning  is'generally  used 
to  prevent  an  undue  or  unsightly 
growth  in  any  one  portion  of  the 
tree  or  plant,  or  to  check  its  luxuri- 
An  old  neglected  tree  that  has  been  ance,  and  thereby  induce  fruiting. 

roughly  over-pruned,   and  "glut-   T  •     '   »  .          , 

tons"  formed.  It  may  be  done  to  very  great  ad- 

vantage by  simply  nipping  with  the  thumb  and  finger,  or  with 
a  pair  of  small  pocket  trimming  shears,  the  young  shoots  that 
start  improperly  or  with  a  disproportionate  vigor.  A  child 
may  do  it  with  a  toy  knife,  or  a  lady  with  her  scissors,  and 
make  a  marked  improvement  in  the  condition  of  a  tree  even  in 
a  single  year,  and  save  very  much  of  the  labor  of  winter  prun- 
ing. 

For  this  purpose,  carefully  watch  the  putting  forth  of  the 
shoots,  and  if  one  threatens  to  cross  another,  nip  it ;  if  a  num- 
ber of  young  shoots  are  thrown  inward  into  the  head  of  the 
tree,  thickening  it  up,  nip  them  all  out,  so  as  to  give  to  the 
young  forming  head  the  openness  which  you  will  find  impor- 
tant when  it  comes  into  bearing.  See  Fig.  121  d,  p.  252.  If 
the  leading  upright  shoot  threatens  to  grow  so  strong  as  to 
discourage  or  prevent  the  formation  of  the  necessary  side  shoots 
for  a  head,  nip  it,  and  thus  throw  the  circulation  into  the  side 
channels.  If  any  one  of  the  branches  threatens  to  become 
gluttonous,  growing  with  excessive,  or,  at  least,  disproportion- 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  255 

ate  vigor,  and  thus  making  a  lop-sided  tree,  nip  it  from  time 
to  time,  and  compel  or  restore  an  equilibrium  ;  and  if  it  be  in 
bearing,  pluck  the  fruit  while  small  from  the  weaker  portion, 
and  let  it  ripen  upon  the  stronger.  If  your  tree  generally 
grow  too  luxuriantly,  and  you  would  encourage  early  fruiting, 
check  its  growth  by  nipping  an  inch  or  two  from  the  points  of 
all  its  branches  in  June,  and  repeat  the  process  a  month  later 
if  the  tree  does  not  appear  to  feel  it,  continuing  this  from  year 
to  year,  with  very  light  winter  pruning. 

To  dwarfed  trees  that  are  to  be  kept  in  the  bush  form,  this 
mode  of  summer  pruning  should  be  thoroughly  and  carefully 
applied,  every  young  shoot  being  nipped  as  soon  as  it  has  at- 
tained such  a  length  as  the  cultivator  judges  sufficient  for  the 
season  upon  the  individual  tree,  those  of  strong  growth  being 
allowed  a  foot  at  the  utmost  to  each  young  shoot,  but  generally 
half  this  length  will  be  found  preferable.  The  young,  tender 
second  growth  from  the  nipped  extremity  must  be  renipped, 
and  the  only  winter  pruning  necessary  should  be  the  cutting 
off  these  weakened  buds  from  the  extremities  so  far  as  to  fur- 
nish a  full  sound  bud  to  start  for  the  next  season's  limited  ad- 
dition. 

If,  however,  the  trees  are  to  be  "  trained,"  running  certain 
leading  shoots  horizontally,  and  treating  them  somewhat  after 
the  manner  of  spur-pruning  the  grape,  the  main  young  shoot 
of  each  may  be  allowed  to  lengthen  more  rapidly — say  two  feet 
in  a  season — the  side  shoots  throughout  its  length  being  nip- 
ped as  above  directed  for  the  bush  form.  See  also  page  258. 

ROOT  PRUNING. 

Root  pruning  is  an  operation  requiring  great  caution  and 
moderation  in  its  performance.  It  is  effected  by  cutting  off  a 
portion  of  the  roots  at  a  distance  from  the  tree,  in  order  to 
check  its  growth  and  force  fruit.  It  may  be  done  by  digging 
a  trench  around  the  tree  and  cutting  the  roots  with  a  knife,  or 
by  encircling  the  tree  partially  or  entirely  with  a  deep  cut, 
made  by  driving  the  blade  of  a  post-spade  to  the  depth  of  a 
foot  or  eighteen  inches.  In  all  ordinary  cases  the  latter  and 
less  laborious  process  will  suffice,  with  careful  summer  pruning, 


256  AMEEICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

to  effect  the  end.  The  distance  at.  which  the  roots  are  cut 
must  be  proportioned  to  the  size  of  the  tree,  the  object  being 
to  cut  off  only  so  many  of  its  feeders  as  temporarily  to  stint  its 
supply  of  sap.  For  a  tree  three  inches  in  diameter,  the  cut 
may  be  made  at  a  distance  of  three  or  four  feet  from  the  stem, 
and  so  on.  August  is  a  good  time  for  the  operation. 

Root  pruning  is  sometimes  also  resorted  to  for  the  purpose 
of  restoring  health  to  a  tree  that  has  become  diseased  from  its 
deeper*  roots  entering  an  unfavorable  or  poisonous  subsoil.  In 
this  case  a  large  opening  is  made  on  one  side,  and  a  sharpen- 
ed, spade  driven  with  force  under  the  whole  central  portion  of 
the  tree,  whence  the  deep  roots  usually  proceed.  It  should 
always  be  accompanied  by  high  surface  culture. 

CLEANING   AND   SCRAPING. 

At  least  once  a  year  all  bearing  trees  should  be  cleaned  by 
washing  or  scraping,  or  both,  from  all  moss  and  dead  bark ; 
and  whether  this  be  done  in  fall  or  spring,  every  portion  of  the 
scrapings  should  be  gathered  and  burned,  as  well  as  all  trim- 
mings, of  whatever  kind,  from  trees  infested  by  insects  or  dis- 
eased. 

FRUITING. 

It  is  common  to  speak  of  the  "  rapid"  or  "  slow  circulation 
of  the  sap,"  and  of  its  "  accumulation"  and  "  more  perfect  elab- 
oration," and  the  consequent  formation  of  fruit-buds,  as  result- 
ing from  the  retarded  rate  of  its  flow.  I  know  of  no  such  se- 
ries of  experiments  upon  the  rate  of  vegetable  circulation,  with 
its  variations,  as  might  enable  us  to  approximate  to  a  safe  con- 
clusion upon  the  subject,  nor  do  I  find  any  thing  in  nature  that 
might  suggest  or  sustain  the  theory  by  analogy.  It  is  also 
difficult  to  understand  how  cutting  off  the  supplies  in  root  prun- 
ing, or  in  any  way  retarding  the  flow  of  sap,  should  cause  its 
accumulation  (if  the  language  quoted  be  accurately  used),  or 
how  it  happens  that  on  mature  trees  with  a  habit  of  biennial 
bearing  the  blossom-buds  are  always  formed  in  the  year  of 
their  most  free  growth.  They  are  also  formed  in  the  fall,  at 
which  period,  according  to  Boucherie,  as  quoted  by  J.  F.  W. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  257 

Johnston,  colored  solutions  reach  the  leaves  through  the  circu- 
lation more  rapidly  than  in  the  spring.  The  theory  may  be 
sound,  but  it  does  not  seem  so.  If  a  branch  be  girdled  to  in- 
duce fruiting,  it  does  not  continue  to  bleed ;  its  tubes  may 
therefore  be  reckoned  as  closed  at  the  descending  end.  If  the 
mouth  of  a  full  siphon  be  closed,  how  can  its  contents  "  accu- 
mulate ?"  Or,  if  we  may  suppose  the  circulating  power  to  be 
constituted  by  the  combined  forces  of  what  we  call  the  vital 
principle,  temperature,  and  capillary  attraction,  then  the  first 
is  strongest  in  the  rapidly-growing  but  non-bearing  tree  ;  the 
second  we  may  assume  as  equal  at  the  period  in  which  the 
matter  of  fruiting  is  decided  ;  and  the  third  ought  to  be  greater 
in  the  tree  of  slower  or  less  thrifty  growth,  for  in  this  case  the 
tubes  are  usually  smaller  and  less  open,  and  the  capillary  force 
is  in  an  inverse,  ratio  to  the  diameter  of  the  tube  in  which  it 
operates.  We  infer,  therefore,  that  mere  rate  of  circulation  has 
little  to  do  with,  or  by  no  means  controls  the  question  of  fruit- 
age, but  that  probably  the  fullness  and  character  of  the  supply, 
in  connection  with  the  peculiar  constitutional  condition  of  the 
tree,  governs  the  production  of  fruit,  and  not  mere  rate  of  move- 
ment. Or,  if  it  be  argued  that  the  organizing  matter  accumu- 
lates, while  the  water  is  exhaled  or  perspired  from  the  leaves, 
this  should  involve  increased  wood  growth  in  the  girdled  limb, 
the  contrary  of  which  results,  except  to  a  trifling  extent  at  the 
upper  lip  of  the  girdling  cut,  where  it  occurs  in  a  manner  sim- 
ilar in  appearance  to  the  formation  of  the  "  callus"  at  the  bur- 
ied end  of  a  branch  cutting.  See  Fig.  82  e,/,  p.  197. 

On  page  66  of  this  work  we  have  observed  that  the  most 
marked  feature  of  vegetable  life  is  its  tendency  to  reproduction. 

All  healthful  vegetable  growth  moves  toward  this  end  in  its 
appointed  natural  course,  attaining  maturity  in  a  longer  or 
shorter  period,  according  to  its  peculiar  constitution,  as  modi- 
fied or  affected  by  climate  and  other  circumstances.  As  a  co- 
rollary of,  or  at  least  in  connection  with  this  tendency  to  repro- 
duction, we  find  what  seems  to  be  a  law,  that  whenever,  from 
any  cause,  there  arises  a  probability  of  this  result  being  de- 
feated, or  even  a  possibility  that  the  individual  may  perish 
without  accomplishing  it,  the  tendency  toward  it  is  immediately 


258  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

stimulated,  and  annihilation  is  avoided  by  a  premature,  though 
it  may  be  feeble  exertion  of  the  reproductive  powers. 

I  suppose  a  similar  law  to  hold  in  reference  to  animal  life, 
and  that  in  the  human  family  it  may  perhaps  be  taken  to  ex- 
plain the  remarkable  though  often  impotent  precocity  of  the 
deformed  and  dwarfed.  It  is  true,  the  force  and  extent  of  an 
injury  from  which  this  possibility  of  annihilation  arises  may 
be  such  as  to  destroy  these  powers,  so  that  the  enfeebled  blos- 
som falls,  and  leaves  no  seed  or  fruit,  or  so  to  weaken  them  that, 
though  the  fruit  form,  it  yet  drops  from  the  tree  imperfect  and 
worthless,  but  the  law  appears  still  to  hold,  and  this  is  the  law 
of  which  we  take  advantage  when  we  would  hasten  the  period 
of  maturity  or  fruitage  in  the  tree  or  plant. 

The  means  and  processes  by  which  we  call  this  law  into  ac- 
tion for  the  early  or  increased  production  either  of  flowers  or 
fruit  are  very  numerous  and  diversified,  though  they  may  all 
be  classed  as  expedients  for  checking  growth.  Cramping  the 
roots  of  plants  in  pots,  with  poor  soil,  or  withholding  water  to 
an  extreme  at  a  certain  stage  of  their  growth,  as  often  practiced 
by  successful  florists,  are  of  this  character.  Transplanting 
also,  whether  more  or  less  frequent.  In  young  seedling  trees 
of  new  kinds,  the  repeated  grafting  of  the  tree  upon  itself,  con- 
tinued from  year  to  year,  or  grafting  it  upon  the  spreading 
branch  of  an  old  bearing  tree ;  all  the  processes  of  dwarfing ; 
ringing  or  girdling  a  limb ;  or,  which  is  equally  efficient  and 
oftener  practiced,  the  disbarking  a  large  portion  of  a  young  or- 
chard tree  with  the  plow ;  or  the  severe  action  of  insects ;  or 
summer  pruning,  by  which  we  interfere  with  the  circulation  ; 
setting  in  shallow  and  poor  soil ;  or  root  pruning,  by  which  we 
cut  off  the  supply  of  sap  ;  or  constricting  the  vessels  of  a  ram- 
pant limb  by  bending  it ;  while  the  most  ancient  device  known 
is  to  "  bore  a  hole  in  the  tree,  and  drive  in  an  oaken  plug." 

Disease  also,  from  whatever  cause  it  may  arise,  has  similar 
effects,  and  the  sick  tree  yields  fruit,  or  the  sick  plant  runs  up 
to  seed  more  quickly  than  its  healthful  companions. 

In  annual  or  biennial  vegetables  there  is  no  object  to  answer 
in  materially  hastening  maturity.  They  all  bear  their  seed  or 
fruit  in  their  season.  But  of  the  tree,  slow  in  maturing,  and 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  259 

of  longer  life  than  ours,  we  become  naturally  impatient  to  en- 
joy the  products,  and  hence  these  devices  to  hasten  its  season 
of  fruitage.  Our  course  to  this  result  is  plain.  Any  expedi- 
ent which  checks  growth  without  immediately  endangering  the 
life  of  the  tree  will  effect  it. 

The  ordinary  and  legitimate  means  to  the  end  are  dwarfing 
(see  that  head),  summer  pruning  in  June  and  July,  or  root 
pruning  in  August,  or  any  other  period  of  the  year ;  or  we 
may  combine  these  means,  if  the  health  of  the  subject  prove 
obstinate. 

Whatever  course  may  be  chosen  for  the  accomplishment  of 
our  object  should  be  accompanied  by  a  free  supply  of  manures 
of  such  kinds  as  may  not  be  calculated  to  stimulate  mere  wood 
growth.  See  Manuring  Fruit-trees. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  we  would  strengthen  a  tree,  or  any  par- 
ticular part  of  it,  we  ought  not  to  allow  it,  or  that  particular 
portion  of  it,  to  bear  fruit ;  we  should  avoid  summer  pruning, 
and  carefully  invigorate  it  by  liberal  shortening  at  the  winter 
pruning. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Diseases  of  Fruit-trees. — Insects  injurious  to  Fruit  and  Fruit-trees,  with 
Keraedies. — Washes  to  destroy  Insects. 

DISEASES  OF  FRUIT-TREES  AND  FRUITS. 
FRUIT   CRACK. 

THIS  is  first  indicated  by  the  stunted  appearance  of  the 
fruit,  especially  on  one  side,  upon  which  a  black  crack  or 
"chap"  opens.  It  is  accompanied  by  dark  blotches  upon  the 
fruit,  which  are  probably  formed  by  the  growth  of  a  minute 
lichen,  the  fruit  becoming  ill-looking  and  worthless. 

This  disease,  or  effect  of  disease,  is  found  in  the  pear,  par- 
ticularly the  Virgalieu ;  in  the  quince  also,  and  sometimes  in 
the  apple.  It  seems  to  arise  from  a  deficiency  in  the  supply 
of  appropriate  food,  and  is  generally  curable  by  manuring  and 
careful  culture.  It  may  always  be  assumed  that  fruits  subject 
to  it  require  and  will  bear  high  cultivation. 


260  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

BLACK  KNOT. 

This  disease,  which  has  almost  entirely  destroyed  the  dam- 
son, the  horse  plum,  and  some  other  kinds,  comes  at  first  as  a 
green  swelling,  bulging  out  and  spreading  open  with  a  granu- 
lated appearance,  changing  in  color  till  it  becomes  a  black, 
wart-like  excrescence,  being,  in  fact,  covered  with  minute  black 
fungi,  which  grow  and  seed  upon  it.  In  general,  unless  ar- 
rested by  cutting  out,  it  continues  to  spread,  either  by  length- 
ening itself  upon  the  branch  or  body,  or  by  breaking  out  at 
some  other  points.  „  When  the  branch  is  cut  off,  the  stain  of 
the  disease  is  found  extending  for  some  distance  below  the 
knot,  in  the  substance  of  the  wood  or  at  the  heart. 

It  is  perhaps  more  prevalent  upon  dark-colored  plums  than 
on  the  yellow  or  green  varieties,  and  has  become  common  upon 
the  sour  red  and  Morello  cherries. 

There  are  variant  opinions  as  to  its  origin  and  character, 
some  supposing  it  to  be  caused  by  an  insect  stinging  the  bark, 
various  worms  being  often  found  in  the  knots ;  others  regard- 
ing it  as  a  vegetable  cancer ;  but  all  agreeing  that  the  only 
method  of  treating  it  is  to  cut  it  clean  off  the  branches,  and 
perfectly  out  of  the  body  and  limbs  in  its  early  stages,  and 
burn  every  vestige  of  the  cuttings,  washing  the  wounds  with 
brine  or  a  solution  of  copperas  in  the  proportion  of  one  ounce 
to  two  gallons  of  water,  or  covering  them  with  grafting  com- 
position or  shellac.  Perseverance  in  this  course  will  be  found 
successful  in  arresting  at  least  its  worst  results. 

BURSTING. 

The  trunks  of  certain  trees,  particularly  the  cherry,  some- 
times open  and  decay  upon  the  south  side,  a  result  attributa- 
ble to  the  occurrence  of  severe  frost  after  the  warmth  of  the 
sun's  rays  has  started  the  circulation  upon  that  side.  The 
full  sap  vessels,  we  suppose,  burst  mechanically,  as  a  full  wa- 
ter-pipe is  bursted  by  the  same  cause.  Short  stems  help  to 
provide  against  this  difficulty,  and  trees  placed  so  as  to  re- 
ceive the  slightest  shade  are  seldom  harmed. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  261 

LEAF-BLIGHT.  — 

What  is  called  leaf-blight  in  the  pear,  plum,  etc.,  seems  to 
be  merely  the  result  of  a  check  given  to  the  growth  by  heat 
or  other  cause,  just  as  the  hawthorn,  refusing  to  acclimate 
well,  annually  loses  its  foliage  in  the  summer  or  early  fall, 
and  becomes  unsightly.  It  may  be  avoided  in  some  measure, 
if  not  entirely,  in  fruit-trees,  by  good  culture  upon  deep  soils, 
moderately  dry. 

MILDEW. 

Mildew  is  an  appearance  of  mouldiness  upon  the  young 
growth.  Among  fruit-trees  it  prevails  upon  some  varieties  of 
peach  and  nectarine,  and  upon  grape-vines  of  foreign  kinds. 
It  generally  follows  a  check  in  the  growth  by  sudden  change 
of  temperature,  etc.,  which  is  accompanied  by  numbers  of  a 
small  aphis  that  punctures  the  back  of  the  leaf  and  sucks  the 
diseased  juices ;  almost  immediately  the  mildew  proper  ap- 
pears, which  seems  to  be  a  very  minute  vegetable  growth. 

It  is  removable  by  syringing  or  showering  with  a  solution 
of  an  ounce  of  nitre  to  a  gallon  of  water,  with  soap-suds,  or 
lime-water,  or  any  alkaline  solution,  or  dusting  with  sulphur ; 
but  in  respect  to  foreign  vines  can  only  be  effectually  met  by  re- 
newing them  every  three  or  four  years,  either  by  layering  from 
their  own  young  shoots,  or  by  young  plants  from  other  sources. 

SOUR-SAP  BLIGHT. 

This  disease  is  also  called  "  fire  blight,"  from  the  appear- 
ance of  the  tree  destroyed  by  it ;  "  frozen-sap  blight,"  from 
the  theory  of  its  being  the  effect  of  frost  upon  the  chemical 
condition  of  the  sap  in  overgorged  vessels,  and  by  European 
cultivators  the  "  canker,"  and  is  described  by  them  as  result- 
ing from  the  sap  being  "  corrupted  by  putrid  water  (i.  e.,  in 
the  subsoil)  or  excess  of  manure,"  and  as  working  like  a  gan- 
grene on  the  parts  affected. 

It  is  a  disease  of  surfeit  or  plethora,  often  appearing  in  the 
pith  near  the  points  of  very  vigorous  offshoots. 

The  change  in  the  sap,  from  whatever  cause  it  may  proceed, 


262  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEX. 

would  seem  to  be  a  kind  of  acetous  fermentation,  running  on 
to  putrefactive  poison,  which  is  carried,  with  the  very  death  it 
represents  and  includes,  as  far  as  the  amount  of  virus  produced 
enables  it  to  spread. 

It  nearly  resembles  the  form  of  death  that  occurs  so  com- 
monly in  young  fruit-trees  when  planted  where  an  old  one  of 
the  same  kind  has  died. 

Dwarfed  trees,  and  those  of  moderate  growth,  as  the  Seckel 
and  Lodge  pears,  &c.,  are  seldom  subject  to  it,  but  strong 
growers  in  moist  rich  soils  suffer  greatly,  or  are  entirely  de- 
stroyed by  it. 

The  selection  of  the  less  vigorous  varieties,  and  the  choice 
of  dry  and  only  moderately  rich  soils  for  the  stronger  growing 
kinds,  may  be  resorted  to  where  a  choice  in  either  respect  is 
practicable.  But  if  this  can  not  be  had,  then  let  a  careful  and 
persistent  system  of  root-pruning  be  pursued,  reaching  espe- 
cially to  the  roots  that  strike  down  into  the  subsoil.  If  the 
effect  of  this  is  seen  not  to  be  too  severe  upon  the  growth  of 
the  tree,  and  not  otherwise,  follow  it  with  moderate  summer 
pruning.  Where  it  appears  only  in  spots,  the  diseased  portion 
should  be  thoroughly  cut  out  and  washed  with  ley,  or  a  solu- 
tion of  copperas  (sulphate  of  iron),  and  afterward  coated  with 
grafting  composition  No.  3. 

YELLOWS. 

This  is  a  jaundice  or  consumption  in  peach-trees,  to  which 
they  have  become  liable  within  the  last  fifty  years,  constitut- 
ing the  only  real  difficulty  in  raising  this  fruit.  It  is  vari- 
ously accounted  for,  but  no  available  remedy  has  been  found. 
It  has  probably  arisen  from  long-continued  neglect  of  culture, 
combined  with  overbearing,  the  latter  being  incessantly  stim- 
ulated, in  addition  to  other  causes,  by  the  very  weakness  it 
produced.  See  Fruiting,  page  258.  A  constitutional  hered- 
itary weakness,  or  disease,  has  thus  been  induced,  which,  when 
fully  developed,  becomes  perhaps  the  very  "  essentiae  mortis," 
communicable  by  inoculation,  as  the  virus  of  an  animal  body 
in  a  state  of  change,  perhaps  also  by  contact,  or  even  by  infec- 
tion. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  263 

Its  first  arid  sufficient  indication  is  the  too  early  ripening  of 
the  fruit  upon  the  tree,  which  as  yet  seems  to  be  in  health. 
This  is  followed,  probably  the  very  next  season,  by  the  growth 
of  short  feeble  shoots  from  the  obscure  buds  of  the  older  branch- 
es, a  change  in  the  general  aspect  of  the  foliage,  still  more 
premature  ripening  or  dropping  of  the  fruit,  which  has  now 
become  darkly  blotched  with  brown  or  purplish  spots,  beneath 
which  the  flesh  is  rotting,  the  tree  becoming  more  and  more 
sickly  in  its  appearance  until  it  dies. 

The  only  known  palliatives,  or  rather  preventives,  are  mod- 
erate manuring,  ordinary  summer  cultivation  of  the  ground,  so 
as  to  secure  for  them  regular  plowing,  &c.,  which  this  tree  feels 
almost  as  quickly  as  a  cabbage  ;  the  choice  of  an  exposed  situ- 
ation, to  avoid  winter  killing,  to  which,  in  northern  latitudes, 
it  is  liable  when  thus  treated  in  warm  exposures  ;  and  the  an- 
nual cutting  back  of  all  young  shoots  to  one  half  or  one  third 
the  length  of  their  last  season's  growth,  with  such  other  win- 
ter pruning  as  the  condition  of  the  tree  may  seem  to  require. 

Severe  winter  pruning  and  good  culture  immediately  after 
the  occurrence  of  the  first  indication  will,  to  all  appearance, 
perfectly  restore  the  tree ;  but  if  these  are  discontinued,  it  re- 
turns the  following  season  to  its  former,  state. 

INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  FRUIT-TREES  AND  FRUIT. 

For  general  remarks  upon  insects  and  their  habits,  see  page 
94. 

As  certain  plants  are  supposed  to  serve  as  a  protection  to 
vegetable  crops,  so  certain  essences,  &c.,  hung  in  vials  in  the 
trees,  have  been  suggested  as  a  defense  for  fruits.  For  this 
purpose,  the  essences  of  peppermint,  tansy,  and  pennyroyal  are 
sometimes  used ;  also,  spirits  of  turpentine  against  the  rose 
bug,  and  ammonia  as  offensive  to  the  plum  weevil. 

Decoys,  or  wide-mouthed  bottles  half  filled  with  sweetened 
water,  have  been  used  with  good  effect  for  catching  wasps  and 
the  larger  bugs ;  and  it  is  said  by  a  recent  writer  that  these 
are  much  more  efficient  if  the  mouth  of  the  bottle  be  closed,  and 
an  entrance  made  by  breaking  a  hole  in  the  side.  Once  in,  the 
insects  do  not  so  readily  find  the  way  out. 


264  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

For  the  protection  of  orchards,  fires  kindled  in  the  evening, 
during  the  perfect  or  winged  stage  of  insect  life,  are  effective 
means.  They  may  be  made  of  brush  or  other  rubbish,  or  small 
lighted  tapers  set  in  shallow  pans  of  water  may  be  used.  Oth- 
er processes  for  the  prevention  or  destruction  of  insects  are 
given  under  the  proper  heads. 

APHIDES. 

Fig.  123. 


a,  Flos  Aphis  ;  &,  common  Aphis,  natural  size ;  c,  rf,  various  common  Aphides  magnified. 

FLOS  APHIS,  Aphis  (Eriosoma)  Lanigera. 

CHERRY  "  Aphis  Cerasi. 

APPLE     "  Aphis  Mali  and  Malifolia. 

GRAPE     "  "      Vinifera. 

ROSE       "  "     EOSOB. 

The  Flos  Aphis,  Fig.  123  a,  is  called  in  Europe,  erroneous- 
ly, American  blight.  It  is  of  a  peculiar  white,  cottony  ap- 
pearance, and  is  met  with  in  large  or  small  bunches,  or  as  sin- 
gle white  spots,  on  forest  and  fruit  trees,  and  not  unfrequently 
upon  the  roots  of  the  latter  in  the  nursery.  The  floss-like  ap- 
pearance is  caused  by  the  white  wavy  or  crinkled  filament  or 
tail  of  the  insect,  by  the  aid  of  which,  though  wingless,  it  is 
sometimes  carried  on  the  wind  from  tree  to  tree.  An  English 
writer  prescribes  washing  with  a  mixture  of  sulphuric  acid  in 
ten  times  its  measure  of  water.  Tobacco  smoke  or  infusion,  or 
ley,  or  whale-oil  soap  ;  or  for  the  roots,  ashes  mixed  in  the  soil, 
are  efficient  remedies. 

The  cherry,  apple,  grape,  and  rose  aphides,  though  distin- 
guished by  writers  on  insects,  require  no  distinction  in  their 
practical  treatment.  Perhaps  every  infected  tree  or  plant  has 
its  own  peculiar  variety,  but  all  are  remediable  by  the  same 
means.  They  are  invited  by  disease,  and  also  cause  it.  The 
remedies  are  those  named  above  for  the  Flos  Aphis,  applied  in 
any  way  that  may  be  found  convenient. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


265 


SCALE  INSECTS,  OR  BARK  LICE. 
PEAR,  OR  WRINKLED  SCALE  INSECT.     Lecanium  Pyri. 

Fig.  124. 


a.  Natural  size. 

b.  Magnified. 


APPLE  SCALE,  OR  SHELL  INSECT.    Aspidiodotus  Conchiformis. 

Fig.  125. 
a 


a.  Natural  size. 

b.  Magnified. 


These  insects,  which  are  sometimes  called  the  "  scale  aphis," 
infest  the  apple,  pear,  mountain  ash,  and  other  trees  and  shrubs, 
appearing  upon  the  bark  like  small  white  spots  or  scales,  grad- 
ually multiplying  until  they  sometimes  cover  the  tree,  some 
of  the  larger  ones  becoming  brownish,  and  having  a  rough  and 
angular,  turtle-back  appearance. 

If  the  stem  of  a  tree  infested  with  them  be  rubbed  harshly 
with  a  gloved  hand,  it  will  appear  as  if  smeared  with  blood ; 
and  if  the  outer  bark  be  shaved  with  a  knife,  the  inner  side  of 
it  will  be  found  reddened  with  disease. 

On  raising  these  scales  in  the  fall  or  winter,  they  are  gen- 
erally found  to  be  pretty  well  filled  with  small  reddish-brown 
eggs  and  the  seeming  remains  of  the  insect,  among  which  will 
sometimes  be  found  a  small  worm.  The  scale  which  covers 
them  is  at  this  season  of  the  year  gray  outside  and  silvery 
white  within. 

M 


266  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

Like  most  other  foul  insects,  they  are  found  only  upon  trees 
that  have  first  become  unhealthy.  Young  apple  or  pear  trees 
set  in  cold,  wet  soils,  or  injudiciously  manured,  or  injured  in 
their  roots,  or  cracked  by  the  borer ;  oleanders  housed  in  a  too 
cold  or  fluctuating  temperature,  and  dusty,  are  especially  liable 
to  suffer  from  them.  A  variety  known  as  Aspidiodotus  Bosce 
infests  roses,  &c.  As  any  cause  which  stunts  and  diseases  the 
young  tree  will  invite  these  quiet  but  destructive  pests,  so  any 
means  that  will  restore  health  to  the  tree  will  banish  them, 
among  which  close  winter  pruning,  digging  about  it,  and  ap- 
plying compost  or  liquid  manure  from  time  to  time,  will  be 
found  most  efficient ;  and,  as  preliminary  to  these,  let  the  scales 
be  crushed  with  a  hard  brush  or  rubber  of  any  kind,  and  the 
tree  or  plant  thoroughly  washed  with  the  ley-wash,  or  whale- 
oil  soap  wash,  or  a  strong  infusion  of  tobacco.  See  page  284. 
Let  this  be  done  in  early  spring,  and  repeated  in  summer  if 
necessary.  If,  however,  the  subsoil  be  wet,  and  especially  if 
it  be  at  the  same  time  level,  and  have  the  character  of  hard- 
pan,  the  insect  will  return,  and  only  draining,  or  deep  plow- 
ing, or  subsoiling,  with  moderate  manuring  and  annual  plant- 
ing with  hoed  crops,  as  potatoes,  corn,  &c.,  at  the  same  time 
leaving  the  trees  abundant  clear  space,  and  using  the  above 
remedies  as  they  may  seem  to  be  required,  will  be  likely  to  car- 
ry them  successfully  past  the  period  of  danger.  The  small- 
er birds  destroy  many  of  these  insects,  but  are  not  numerous 
enough  to  keep  them  in  check. 

WORMS    OR   LARV.E. 

APPLE-TREE   BORERS. 
a  Fig.  126. 


a.  Larva. 

b.  Saperda  bivittata,  or  two-striped 

beetle. 


Uorer  and  parent  bug. 


AMERICAN   HOMK   GARDEN. 
Fig.  127. 


267 


a.  Larva. 

b.  Chrysobothris  (Buprestis)  femora ta,  or 

thick-legged  snapping  beetle. 
Infesting  apple,  quince,  and  some  forest 


Borer  and  parent  bug. 

The  parent  beetles  of  the  above  are  of  very  dissimilar  ap- 
pearance, though  the  worms  are  alike  in  habit. 

The  Saperda  is  about  three  fourths  of  an  inch  long,  of  a  light 
butternut-brown  color,  and  most  easily  recognized  by  its  two 
rather  broad  white  stripes  extending  the  whole  length  of  the 
insect.  It  flies  chiefly  at  night. 

The  Chrysobothris,  or  snapper,  is  described  by  Fitch  as  "  an 
oblong,  brassy-blackish  snapping  beetle,  nearly  half  an  inch 
long,  its  back  under  the  wings  brilliant  bluish  green."  It  is 
most  active  at  midday. 

Both  deposit  their  eggs  in  June  or  July  upon  the  bark,  gen- 
erally near  the  ground,  and  the  worms,  when  hatched,  eat  their 
way  first  to  the  inner  bark,  where  they  may  be  found  in  Au- 
gust or  September,  of  the  size  of  a  wheat-kernel.  Eating 
downward,  they  reach  the  sap-wood,  which,  with  the  inner  bark, 
they  destroy  extensively.  They  finally  enter  the  solid  wood, 
and  eat  their  way  upward,  living  in  the  tree  some  two  years. 
When  the  period  of  their  change  approaches,  they  make  their 
way  toward  the  outer  surface,  forming  their  chrysalides  within 
the  bark  of  the  tree,  from  which  the  beetles  make  their  escape 
in  early  summer  by  eating  through. 

Borer,  Fig.  126  a,  larva  of  the  Saperda,  is  a  soft,  full,  fleshy, 
yellowish-white,  cylindrical  worm,  about  an  inch  long,  of  the 
diameter  of  a  slout  straw,  or  a  little  larger,  of  even  thickness 
throughout,  or  scarcely  at  all  tapering.  It  has  a  brown  nead 
and  black  jaws,  and  is  marked  into  thirteen  joints  or  segments. 
Upon  these,  both  above  and  beneath,  is  a  row  of  obscure,  wart- 
like  protuberances,  which,  with  the  spiracles  or  breathing-holes 


268  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

along  its  sides,  give  it  somewhat  the  appearance  of  being 
striped.  It  is  slightly  hairy,  footless,  and  not  very  active,  roll- 
ing itself  in  its  progress,  but  is  very  destructive  to  the  fruit- 
trees  it  infests. 

Borer,  Fig.  127  a,  larva  of  the  Chrysobothris,  or  snapper,  is  a 
pale  yellow  or  very  light  wood-colored  worm,  less  than  an  inch 
long,  ringed  or  jointed  as  the  former,  and  somewhat  more 
hairy.  It  is  soft,  and  generally  flabby-looking,  with  dark  head 
and  jaws,  not  very  prominent,  immediately  back  of  which  it  has 
a  flattened  and  curiously-marked  enlargement  or  pair  of  heavy 
shoulders,  from  which  the  body  or  tail  tapers  rapidly  to  a  point. 
It  is,  I  think,  even  more  injurious  than  the  former,  but  both  re- 
quire prompt  and  thorough  attention.- 

In  addition  to  the  voluntary  labors  of  the  downy  woodpecker, 
who  is  an  active  and  laborious  hunter  of  the  young  larvae,  va- 
rious means  of  destruction  are  available. 

The  beetles  of  both  kinds  should,  as  far  as  possible,  be  de- 
stroyed, the  Saperda  by  means  of  brush  fires  in  the  orchard  at 
evening,  and  the  snapper  by  catching  with  the  hand.  Scrape 
the  bark  around  the  butts  of  the  trees  in  August,  carefully 
burning  the  scrapings,  and  destroy  the  young  worms  by  a  thor- 
ough washing  with  ley  or  coating  with  soft  soap.  Watch  for 
the  first  fresh  castings  of  the  worm  while  small,  and  either  cut 
him  out,  or  pass  a  wire  or  pointed  flexible  gutta-percha  probe 
up  the  hole  to  pierce  him,  or  stifle  him  with  camphor  plugged 
into  the  hole,  or  with  the  fumes  of  burning  sulphur,  if  they 
will  reach  him,  or.  with  an  awl  open  the  upper  end  of  his  bur- 
row and  pour  in  scalding  water,  as  suggested  by  Dr.  Fitch. 

Piling  ashes  or  lime  around  the  trees  in  spring,  or  coating 
the  butts  for  eight  or  ten  inches  with  pitch  or  grafting  compo- 
sition, will  also  be  found  useful. 

BUD  WORM  AND  PARENT  MOTH. 

Supposed  to  be  Larva  of  Loxotenia  Rbsaceana. 
The  moth  is  generally  about  half  an  inch  long,  and  of  a 
light  brown  color,  but  variable.    When  at  rest,  a  quadrangular 
figure  is  formed  by  several  narrow  brown  bands  upon  the 
wings. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


269 


The  bud  worm  is  a  small  greenish  worm  with  a  - 128- 
dark  head,  found  just  after  the  trees  start  to  grow, 
rolled  in  the  very  tip  of  the  young  shoot,  which  it 
eats  entirely  away ;  and  later  in  the  season,  the 
same  worm,  or  one  resembling  it,  is  found  rolled 
into  the  rose  or  grape-vine  leaf.  He  is  an  exceed- 
ingly active,  mischievous-looking  fellow,  watching 
keenly  for  an  intruder,  and  dodging  quickly  into 
his  retreat  when  you  approach  him.  They  are  not  very  nu- 
merous. I  have  supposed  them  to  proceed  from  eggs  which 
are  found  deposited  singly  or  in  small  numbers  in  the  perfo- 
rated bark  of  the  young  shoot  close  to  the  buds,  though  the 
Loxotenia  is  said  to  deposit  her  eggs  upon  the  bark. 

Remedy  :  catch  and  crush  him  ;  also  gather  the  eggs. 


CANKER   WORM   AND   PARENT   MOTHS. 

Fig.  123. 

c^^ 
a 


a.  Larva. 


6.  Anisopteryx  Vernata  (Male). 
c.  "  "       (Female). 


The  male  moth  is  of  a  pale  ash  color,  with  darker  spots  or 
shadings.  The  female  is  dark  ash -colored  above  and  gray  be- 
neath ;  the  latter  can  not  fly,  having  mere  winglets. 

The  CANKER  WORM  is  a  dusky-brown  or  ash-colored  worm, 
ten  footed,  and  about  an  inch  long,  very  destructive  to  apple, 
elm,  and  other  trees.  The  moths  leave  the  ground  in  very 
early  spring,  and  a  few  may  get  out  in  the  fall.  They  seek 
the  trees  in  March,  or  at  the  first  opening  of  spring,  the  fe- 
male crawling  up  and  laying  her  eggs  in  the  crotches  and 
branches.  These  hatch  in  the  latter  end  of  May,  and  the 
worms  spread  over  the  tree  and  ravage  it,  sweeping  an  orchard 
like  fire  where  they  are  very  numerous. 

Remedy :  banding  the  tree  carefully  with  Dennis's  patent 
leaden  oil  trough,  or  any  substitute  for  it  which  you  can  de- 


270  AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 

vise ;  a  projecting  strip  of  leather  fastened  edgewise  to  the 
tree  and  oiled  ;  a  tarred  band  around  it ;  or  a  thick,  broad  belt 
or  band,  coated  with  India-rubber  melted  by  heat,  which  is 
quite  adhesive,  but  does  not  harden. 

The  birds  destroy  large  numbers  of  them,  and  Harris  says 
there  is  a  splendid  ground-beetle  that  watches  for  and  catches 
them  as  they  come  down  from  the  trees  ;  various  parasites  also 
disable  the  larvae,  and  destroy  the  eggs  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent. See  also  page  96. 

CORE  WORM  AND  PARENT  MOTH. 

Fig.  130. 

d  y 


a.  Larva.  6.  Carpocapsa  Tomonella,  natural  size. 

c.      "      ,  magnified.       d.          "  magnified. 

Moth  small  and  grayish,  with  a  large  brown  spot  on  the 
hinder  part  of  the  fore  wings ;  the  smaller  wings  and  body 
yellowish  brown ;  the  texture  of  the  wings  appearing  like 
watered  silk. 

The  core  worm  is  a  small,  flesh-colored  worm  or  grub,  found 
in  the  apple-core,  sometimes  causing  the  fruit  to  drop  prema- 
turely from  the  tree. 

When  the  apples  fall,  if  not  before,  the  worm  leaves  the  fruit, 
and  hides  in  the  crevices  of  the  bark,  to  spin  and  wait  for  the 
return  of  spring.  The  moth  comes  out  in  all  June,  and  im- 
mediately deposits  her  eggs  singly  in  the  eye  of  the  young 
fruit.  They  hatch  in  a  few  days,  and  the  young  worm  pro- 
ceeds to  eat  in  to  the  heart. 

Remedy :  scrape  the  bark  in  the  early  spring,  and  burn  the 
scrapings.  Let  hogs  run  in  the  orchard  to  eat  the  falling 
fruit,  and  every  day  gather  what  they  do  not  eat  and  boil  them, 
or  feed  them  to  other  swine.  Old  cloths  in  the  crotches  of  the 
trees  or  lying  loose  around  will  furnish  hiding-'places  in  which 
the  worms  may  be  caught  by  looking  them  over  weekly ;  also 
evening  fires  in  the  orchard  in  moth-time  will  destroy  many. 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 


271 


NEST   WORM,  WITH   PARENT   MOTHS   AND   EGGS. 
Fig.  131. 


6.  Clisiocampa  Americana,  or  Lackey  Moth  (Male). 

c.  "  "  '•        "          "     (Female). 

d.  Eggs  deposited  on  a  young  branch  for  wintering. 

The  livery  or  lackey  moth  takes  its  name  from  the  colors 
which  mark  its  larvae.  Its  own  color  is  a,  dull-red  or  fox  color, 
with  two  white  parallel  stripes  across  the  wings,  the  male 
moth  being  rather  darker  than  the  female.  It  is  about  an 
inch  and  a  half  across  when  expanded.  The  worm,  when  full 
grown,  is  nearly  two  inches  long,  with  a  black  head,  the  body 
being  variously  lined  and  spotted  with  black,  blue,  yellow,  and 
white. 

This,  which  is  called  "  tent  worm"  by  Harris,  is  pre-emi- 
nently the  apple-tree  worm  of  our  country  from  Maine  to 
Texas,  though  it  affects  still  more  the  wild  cherry,  and  is  some- 
times found  upon  other  trees  to  a  limited  extent.  Its  eggs  are 
set  on  end,  head  outward,  being  glued  together  with  softish 
gum-mucilage,  and  varnished  over  with  the  same.  They  may 
be  found  at  any  time  during  winter  upon  the  young  shoots, 
forming  a  band  around  them  nearly  an  inch  broad,  and  of  a 
slate  color,  Fig.  131  d. 


272  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

These  are  hatched  by  the  warmth  of  May,  each  nest  of  eggs 
producing  a  pretty  numerous  colony  of  worms,  which  at  first 
ore  not  thicker  than  pins,  and  half  the  length  of  a  wheat  grain. 
They  soon  begin  to  feed  and  grow,  and  make  their  nest,  chang- 
ing their  skins  from  time  to  time,  and  strengthening  them- 
selves and  enlarging  their  dwelling,  until  in  June  they  ma- 
ture and  wander  off  to  spin  their  cocoons. 

The  moths  come  out  about  the  first  of  July,  and  in  a  few 
days  after  deposit  their  eggs  for  the  next  season. 

Remedies  :  the  first  and  best  is  to  collect  the  eggs  for  burn- 
ing in  the  fall  after  the  trees  lose  their  foliage,  and  if  not  at- 
tended to  then,  let  it  be  done  in  winter  or  very  early  spring. 
The  second  best  is  to  watch  for  the  very  first  sign  of  the  form- 
ation of  the  nests,  when  but  little  larger  than  a  hen's  egg,  and, 
choosing  a  moist  or  cloudy  day,  either  cut  off  and  burn  them, 
or,  armed  with  a  thick  glove,  crush  them ;  though  so  small, 
they  are  all  there. 

But,  if  these  opportunities  are  neglected,  there  remains  the 
ordinary  laborious  attempts  to  do  late  what  might  have  been 
done  early  with  ease  :  to  gather  and  crush  or  burn  them  when 
nearly  full  grown ;  to  sponge  them  with  ammonia ;  to  burn 
them  in  the  nest ;  to  twist  them  out  with  a  pronged  stick,  or 
swab  them  with  turpentine,  most  of  which  can  be  but  partial 
remedies. 

It  has  an  enemy  in  a  parasitic  insect,  the  small  white  co- 
coons of  which  are  often  found  attached  to  those  of  the  worm. 
For  the  destruction  of  the  moth,  evening  fires  of  brush  or  tar 
in  the  orchard  at  moth-time,  continued  for  a  week  or  two,  are 
most  effectual. 

Dr.  Fitch  suggests  that  perhaps  the  wild  cherry  might  be 
advantageously  used  as  a  natural  decoy  for  the  protection  of 
valuable  orchards,  being  planted  near,  and  perfectly  cleared  of 
the  eggs  every  fall  or  winter.  It  would  seem  worthy  at  least 
of  a  trial. 

NET  WORM   AND   PARENT  MOTH. 

The  color  of  the  moth  varies  from  yellow  to  brown ;  the 
wings  are  crossed  by  four  or  five  darker  bands,  and  spotted 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


278 


with  small  specks  of  the  same.     It  is  orange  colored  or  yellow 
about  the  head  and  throat. 


Fig.  132. 


a.  Larva. 


b.  Euraetopona  ministra,  or  Handmaid 
moth. 


The  net  worm,  or  yellow-necked  apple-tree  worm  somewhat 
resembles  the  nest  worm,  but  comes  later  in  the  season,  and, 
instead  of  spinning  a  compact  nest,  weaves  a  net  over  the  limb 
on  which  it  is  feeding,  and  spreads  it  as  its  range  enlarges, 
eating  chiefly  the  tissue  of  the  leaf  in  preference  to  its  veins. 

The  eggs  are  deposited  in  clusters  upon  the  back  of  the  leaf, 
near  the  end  of  the  shoot,  and  number  usually  from  seventy  to 
a  hundred,  which  are  hatched  from  the  middle  of  July  to  the 
middle  of  August. 

They  are  generally  by  no  means  so  numerous  as  the  nest 
worm,  but  more  injurious  in  proportion  to  their  numbers. 

Remedy  :  watch  for  their  first  weaving,  and  immediately 
crush  them  ;  or  cut  off  the  limb  and  burn  it. 

NOTCH  WORM  AND  PARENT  MOTHS.  > 

Fig.  133. 


a.  Larva.  6.  Orgyia  Leucostigma  (Male).  c.  Orgyia  Leucostigma  (Female). 

Moth  of  a  dingy  brown  color,  the  female  being  wingless. 
The  notch  worm  is  a  pretty,  slender,  sixteen-footed  worm, 
about  an  inch  long,  with  pale  yellow  hairs  and  tufts,  and  black 

M2 


274  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

hair  pencils,  the  head  and  two  spots  on  the  back  being  coral 
red. 

The  small  round  white  eggs  of  this  species  may  be  found 
rolled  up  in  a  dead  leaf,  and  hanging  upon  the  ends  of  the 
shoots  through  the  winter.  They  hatch  early  in  May,  spin 
mostly  in  the  latter  half  of  July  ;  in  about  two  weeks  the  moth 
appears,  deposits  her  eggs  in  a  few  days,  and  dies.  It  is  not 
a  numerous  kind,  but  is  found  upon  the  rose,  the  wistaria,  &c., 
eating  notches  into  the  edges  of  the  leaves. 

Remedy :  gather  and  destroy  the  eggs  in  March  or  April, 
and  catch  and  crush  the  worms. 

PALMER  WORM   AND   PARENT  MOTH. 
Fig.  134 


a.  Larva.  6.  Chcetocliilus  Pometellus. 

The  moth  about  three  fourths  of  an  inch  across  when  spread. 
It  is  generally  of  an  ash-gray  color,  sprinkled  more  or  less 
with  black,  but  varying  very  much  in  different  seasons. 

The  worm  is  described  by  Fitch  as  of  a  pale  yellowish  green, 
with  a  dusky  or  black  stripe  along  each  side  of  the  back  ;  and 
two  other  lines,  the  one  being  whitish,  and  the  other  dusky, 
with  a  shining  yellow  head  like  beeswax. 

They  travel  and  feed  scatteringly  upon  the  tree,  and  drop 
and  hang  by  their  spun  threads  when  it  is  jarred. 

When  in  force,  the  palmer  worm  is  much  more  destructive 
than  the  nest  or  net  worms,  and  in  some  sections  and  seasons 
becomes  a  scourge.  It  feeds  in  June.  The  moths  come  out 
about  the  second  week  in  July. 

Remedy  :  drenching  with  water,  or  with  whale-oil  soap  wash  ; 
also  evening  fires  in  the  orchard  in  moth-time. 

Many  of  them  are  destroyed  by  a  small  footless  parasitic 
grub. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  275 


CHERRY   WORMS   OR   SLUGS. 

The  parent  of  this  worm  or  slug  is  a  small  glossy  black  fly, 

Fig.^35.      with  transparent  but  cloudy  wings,  reflecting  the 

colors  of  the  rainbow.     It  appears  about  the  first 

^^  ^1^    of  June  upon  cherry  and  pear,  and  sometimes  ap- 

Larvseofseian-  ple  trees.     Its  eggs  are  deposited  in  small  punc- 

campa)  cerasi.  tures,  generally  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaf,  and 

begin  to  hatch  in  fourteen  days.     The  young  are  at  first  white. 

They  grow  to  be  about  half  an  inch  long,  becoming  greenish, 

and  of  a  watery  and.  sticky  appearance,  and  eat  the  tissue  of 

the  leaves. 

Remedy :  dust  the  foliage  thoroughly  with  lime  or  dry  wood- 
ashes  when  the  dew  is  on,  or  syringe  with  whale-oil  soap  wash. 

These,  with  their  kindred  species  infesting  roses  and  grape 
vines,  undergo  various  moultings,  and  sometimes  eat  up  their 
cast  skins.  Their  changes  are  completed  in  about  four  weeks, 
when  they  are  yellow  and  free  from  slime,  and  soon  after  enter 
the  earth.  Mice,  moles,  birds,  and  their  own  natural  parasite 
are  their  enemies. 

CURRANT  WORM,  OR  BORER. 

LARVA  OP  PSENOCERtTS   8UPERNOTATUS.      LARVA   OF   ^GERIA  TIPTTLIFORMIS. 

These  worms  eat  into  the  pith  of  the  currant  stem,  and 
weaken  or  destroy  it.  They  are  not  very  numerous  except  in 
certain  localities,  and  are  easily  managed  if  all  sickly  and  dead 
branches  are  promptly  cut  off  close  to  the  ground  or  the  main 
stem,  and  burned. 

GOOSEBERRY   WORM. 

This  is  a  round-bodied  and  curiously-marked  measuring 
rig.  136.  worm,  about  an  inch  long,  having  ten 

^Tri'-i-^W-i "-  \  '. l'fty   leSs — six  *n  front,  and  four  behind. 

It  eats  away  the  leaves  of  the  bush, 

like  the  bud  worm.     He  suspends  himself  by  a  thread  in  de- 
scending from  the  bush. 

Remedy  :  gather  the  worms  by  hand  and  destroy  them. 


276  AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 

SMALLER  GOOSEBERRY   WORM. 

LARVA   OF  CECIDOMYA   GRO8SUI.ARI.E,  OR  GOOSEBERRY  MIDGE. 

The  midge  is  scarcely  one  tenth  of  an  inch  in  length,  pale 
yellow,  with  wings  that  appear  glassy. 

The  eggs  are  deposited  in  June  in  the  young  berries,  which 
color  prematurely  and  drop  off,  the  young  worms,  which  are 
yellow  and  of  an  oval  form,  occupying  the  rotten  inside'. 

Remedy :  gather  all  premature  and  dropped  fruit,  and  boil 
or  burn  it. 

GRAPE  WORMS. 

Besides  the  bud  worm,  mentioned  p.  268  as  infesting  the 
grape-vine,  there  are  other  worms,  more  rare,  but  perhaps  not 
less  injurious,  which  trouble  it. '  They  are  the  larvae  of  various 
kinds  of  Philampelus  or  Sphinx  moth,  and  either  eat  the  leaves 
or  cut  the  unripe  fruit  from  the  branches.  The  vines  should 
be  watched,  and  the  depredators  caught  and  destroyed.  The 
grape  slug,  larva  of  Selandria  (Blennocampa)  vitis,  is  similar 
to  the  cherry  and  rose  slugs,  and  may  be  destroyed  by  the  same 
means,  as  may  also  the  minute  brown  or  greenish  larva  of  Hal- 
tica  chalybea,  or  grape-vine  jumper,  which  sometimes  feeds 
upon  the  young  blossoms,  and  thus  destroys  the  crop. 

The  vine  borer,  Trochilium  polistiformis,  which  is  peculiar- 
ly destructive  to  grape-vines  at  the  South,  is  so  similar  in  its 
appearance,  habits,  and  transformations  through  all  its  stages 
to  the  peach  borer,  TrocJiilium  exitiosum,  that  it  may  perhaps 
be  doubted  if  there  is  a  really  specific  difference  between- them. 
All  remedies  for  the  one  are  available  against  the  other. 


PEACH   WORM,  WITH   ITS   CHRYSALIS   AND   PARENT  FLIES. 

The  peach  fly,  which  in  its  season  may  be  seen  busy  about 
the  trees,  is  a  small  wasp-like  fly,  of  lively  habit,  rather  more 
than  half  an  inch  long.  The  wings  of  the  male  are  transpa- 
rent, those  of  the  female  a  bright  steel  blue  ;  the  bodies  of  both 
are  of  this  color,  the  female  having  a  cross  belt  of  orange.  Its 
eggs  are  deposited  during  the  latter  part  of  summer  in  the 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  277 

Fig.  137. 


c.  Trochilium  exitiosum  (Male). 

d.  "  "  (Female). 

bark  of  the  peach-tree,  just  at  the  surface  of  the  earth,  where  it 
is  kept  tender  by  contact  with  the  soil.  The  worm  hatches  in 
a  few  days ;  then  eating  its  way  to  the  inner  bark,  and  doing 
more  or  less  injury  in  the  fall,  according  as  it  may  have  been 
hatched  earlier  or  later  in  the  season,  it  winters  there. 

The  warmth  of  spring  renews  its  activity,  and  if  several  eggs 
have  been  deposited  in  one  tree,  the  worms  will  pretty  well 
girdle  it  by  the  end  of  May,  about  which  time  they  begin  to 
form  their  cocoons,  the  outside  of  which  is  usually  covered  with 
the  sawdust-like  castings  of  the  worm. 

There  are  various  easy  remedies :  merely  banking  up  the 
earth,  or  piling  wood  or  coal  ashes  or  slaked  shell  lime  a  few 
inches  high  around  the  trees  early  in  the  spring,  first  examin- 
ing them  and  removing  any  worms  that  may  be  found,  and 
again  taking  away  the  ashes  or  earth  in  the  fall.  Or  if  the 
earth  be  removed  to  the  depth  of  three  or  four  inches,  and  a 
coat  of  pitch  or  grafting  composition  No.  3,  page  239,  put  on 
with  a  brush  from  this  depth  below  to  an  equal  distance  above 
the  surface  level,  replacing  the  earth  that  may  be  removed  so 
as  to  leave  the  pitch  collar  about  equally  under  and  above 
ground,  no  fly  will  be  able  to  deposit  the  egg,  and  of  course  no 
worm  will  be  found  in  the  root.  One  such  application  will 
last  for  several  years,  even  in  trees  growing  vigorously.  They 
should,  however,  be  examined  every  spring,  in  case  the  fly  may 
have  found  an  opening  made  by  the  swelling  of  the  tree.  For 
this  a  single  glance  is  sufficient,  as  the  presence  of  the  worm  is 
always,  at  this  season,  indicated  by  the  exuding  gum.  The 
forks  of  the  principal  branches  also  require  attention,  the  worm 
being  often  found  in  them  when  excluded  from  the  root. 


278  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

The  ravages  of  this  worm  may  not  only  be  prevented,  but 
they  may  be  defied  and  counteracted.  We  may  stimulate  the 
growth  of  a  peach-tree  so  that  it  will  form  new  bark  faster  than 
the  worm  can  eat  it,  while  its  foliage  may  retain  the  deep  green 
color  of  vigorous  health,  and  its  fruit  be  magnificent.  This, 
however,  is  a  dangerous  though  interesting  experiment,  the 
fullness  of  sap  induced  in  the  process  exposing  the  tree  to  the 
risk  of  being  winter-killed  ;  but  with  a  hardy  variety,  and  upon 
a  northwest  exposure,  it  ha.s  been  successfully  performed,  with 
the  worm  working  unchecked  and  severely  to  the  height  of 
eighteen  inches  above  the  ground.  Any  one  may  repeat  it 
who  will  plant  a  peach-tree  upon  a  slope  in  such  an  exposure, 
and  set  a  hog-pen  six  feet  above  it. 

PEAR-TREE   WORM   AND   PARENT   BEETLE. 
Fig.  138. 

or.  Larva,  magnified. 
&.  Scolytus  Pyri,  or  pear-blight 
beetle,  magnified. 

A  very  small  beetle,  of  a  deep  brown  color,  with  paler  legs. 
Wing  covers  with  obscurely-punctured  rows. 

The  worm  is  minute.  It  eats  into  the  smaller  limbs  of  the 
pear-tree,  and,  reaching  the  pith,  works  from  that  centre  until 
a  narrow  section  of  the  wood  is  eaten  ont  to  the  bark,  forming 
a  circular  cell,  and  the  limb  above  the  point  of  the  injury  droops 
and  dies  suddenly. 

Remedy :  cut  off  the  limb  and  burn  it  the  moment  you  per- 
ceive the  leaves  to  droop. 

PLUM  WORM,  WITH  PARENT  BUG. 
Fig.  139. 


a.  Larva. 

k  Conotrachelus  Nenuphar. 
c.  Conotrachelus  Nenuphar  at 
work  upon  a  young  plum. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEX.  279 

The  plum  worm  is  the  larva  of  a  small  winged  insect  known 
as  the  curculio.  It  is  a  small  dark  brown  or  blackish  beetle  or 
bug,  somewhat  resembling  in  size  and  appearance  the  pea  bug, 
except  that  it  is  rather  more  lightly  built,  and  has  a  small 
dark  raised  spot  or  hump  upon  each  wing.  It  makes  its  appear- 
ance late  in  the  time  of  blossoms,  and  soon  after  the  young  fruit 
sets  it  cuts  up  upon  it  a  small  semicircular  piece  of  the  skin 
with  its  minute  but  keen  forceps,  and,  leaving  this  like  an  apron, 
deposits  a  single  egg  beneath  it,  and  close  to  its  inner  line. 
Protected  by  its  slight  covering,  the  egg  is  hatched  in  a  few 
days,  and  the  young  worm  eats  its  way  until  it  reaches  the  pit. 
The  fruit  sickens  and  drops  from  the  tree,  generally  before  it  is 
half  grown,  more  or  less  of  it  continuing  to  drop  until  the  time 
of  ripening,  when  one  side  of  the  falling  fruit  is  usually  found 
to  have  rotted. 

When  the  fruit  falls  the  worm  leaves  it  and  hides  itself  in 
the  earth,  to  return  in  its  winged  form  in  time  for  the  next 
year's  crop.  Those  that  enter  the  ground  as  early  as  June  and 
July  are  supposed  to  pass  through  their  changes  and  reappear 
in  the  fall,  and  some  think  they  all  come  out  before  winter, 
and,  failing  to  find  their  favorite  fruit,  deposit  eggs  for  the 
spring  brood  in  the  bark  of  the  young  shoots  of  plum,  pear,  or 
peach  trees.  Dr.  Fitch  seems  to  favor  this  view,  which,  he 
says,  was  held  by  the  Rev.  F.  V.  Melscheimer,  of  Pennsylvania, 
fifty  years  ago,  and  is  just  now  revived,  though  not  fully  con- 
firmed. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  fatally  injurious  of  our  insect  ene- 
mies, and  there  is  really  no  known  and  certain  preventive  or 
remedy.  Sowing  salt  sparingly  around  the  trees,  say  a  quart 
to  a  tree,  spread  over  a  space  twenty  feet  square,  is  useful  not 
only  as  being  offensive  to  the  insects,  but  also  conducive  to  the 
health  of  the  tree.  Ashes  and  soap-suds  will  also  be  found  in 
this  respect  valuable.  Sulphur,  though  useless  when  inserted 
in  the  tree  as  sometimes  prescribed,  might  possibly  be  of  serv- 
ice sown  over  it,  repeating  the  dose  if  it  should  be  washed  off 
by  rain.  Perhaps,  also,  plaster  may  be  worthy  of  a  trial. 

Early  in  the  morning  they  are  comparatively  helpless,  and 
may  be  caught  by  spreading  a  sheet  under  the  tree,  into  which 


280  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

they  will  fall  if  the  tree  is  suddenly  j  arred  by  a  smart  stroke 
with  a  mallet  upon  its  body,  or  by  a  blow  with  a  hammer  upon 
the  end  of  the  stump  of  a  branch  cut  off  for  this  purpose,  which 
may  remain  from  year  to  year,  being  covered  in  the  intervals 
of  its  use  with  grafting  composition  No.  3. 

When  the  insects  drop  they  instantly  fold  themselves  up  as 
closely  as  possible,  and  appear  like  the  small  dead  buds  or 
scales  that  fall  with  them,  so  that  to  secure  them  the  whole 
gatherings  of  the  sheet  should  be  burned  or  scalded. 

Careful  attention  given  to  the  trees  in  this  manner  from  the 
time  the  fruit  sets  until  it  is  one  fourth  grown  will  generally 
secure  the  crop  ;  but  the  most  promising  known  mode  is  to 
pave  closely  under  the  trees,  with  clam  or  oyster  shells  of  more 
convenient  than  other  material,  or  plant  them  so  that  their 
tops  lean  over  wate'r ;  the  instinct  of  the  insect  leading  it  to 
avoid  depositing  its  eggs  in  fruit  from  which,  when  they  drop, 
its  progeny  can  find  no  safe  retreat. 

These  latter  precautions  have  in  numerous  instances  and  in 
intelligent  hands  proved  successful,  and  are  worthy  of  careful 
trial.  Whatever  else  is  done,  however,  the  falling  fruit  should 
be  gathered  up  daily  and  boiled  or  burned ;  mere  scalding 
should  not  be  trusted.  Hogs,  unless  starved,  will  not  eat 
them.  Hens  with  broods  of  chickens  destroy  numbers  of  the 
young  worms  where  the  ground  is  clear,  so  that  they  can 
scratch  freely,  but  are  not  to  be  expected  to  extirpate  them, 
especially  if  there  are  hiding-places  near. 

This  insect,  or  some  other  of  similar  habit,  infests  the  cherry 
and  the  apple ;  the  cherry,  however,  does  not  drop  as  the 
plum,  and  in  the  apple  the  young  worm  does  not  seek  the 
heart  of  the  fruit,  as  the  core  worm,  but  burrows  around  irreg- 
ularly just  under  the  skin,  so  that  when  peeled  the  apple 
shows  a  net- work  of  brown  lines. 

WINGED  INSECTS. 
SEVENTEEN-YEAR   LOCUST,  OR   CICADA   SEPTEMDECIM. 

Of  this  remarkable  insect  there  are  quite  a  number  of  sepa- 
rate broods  or  swarms,  each  having  its  particular  section  or 
district.  They  do  not  appear  simultaneously.  The  northern- 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


281 


most  brood,  occupying  East-  Fig.  140. 

ern  New  York,  a  part  of 
Connecticut,  with  a  portion 
of  New  Jersey  and  Pennsyl- 
vania, appeared  last  in  1843, 
and  is  therefore  due  in  1860 ; 
while  the  brood  occupying 
Western  New  York,  and 
Pennsylvania,  and  Eastern 
Ohio,  appeared  last  in  1849, 
and  is  due  in  1866. 

They  are   a  little  larger 
than  the  common   summer  locust  (Cicada  canicularis),  and 
their  note,  though  similar,  is  stronger  and  more  shrill. 

They  are  black,  with  red  eyes  and  transparent  wings  and 
wing  covers,  the  edges  and  veins  of  which  are  orange  red,  and 
having  the  peculiar  dark  zigzag  line  resembling  a  W,  which 
superstition  regarded  as  an  omen  of  coming  war  in  times  when 
wars  were  so  frequent  that  it  could  never  be  mistaken. 

They  appear  suddenly  in  the  month  of  June,  coming  out  of 
the  ground  as  if  in  a  single  night.  At  this  time  they  are  in 
the  pupa  state,  being  incased  in  a  thin  transparent  membrane 
or  shell,  which  in  a  few  hours  after  they  reach  the  surface 
cracks  open  along  the  back,  and  the  perfect  insects  come  forth. 
They  are  at  first  feeble  and  sluggish,  but  soon  gain  strength, 
and  the  males,  who  alone  carry  the  music,  make  the  woods  re- 
sound with  their  shrill  notes. 

The  chief  apparent  injury  done  by  them  is  in  depositing 
their  eggs  in  the  young  branches,  particularly  of  oak  and  ap- 
ple trees.  This  operation  is  performed  by  cutting  up  the 
wood  of  the  branch  in  successive  thin  slices  or  splinters,  very 
much  as  in  old  times  a  carpenter  commenced  the  opening  of  a 
long,  narrow  mortice ;  under  these  splinters  a  double  row  of 
eggs  is  set,  to  the  number  of  fifteen  or  twenty ;  similar  nests 
are  formed  until  all  the  eggs  are  deposited,  one  individual  de- 
positing four  or  five  hundred.  Most  of  the  branches  die  above 
the  wound,  and  snap  off  with  the  wind  either  before  or  after 
the  eggs  are  hatched,  the  whole  operation  becoming  a  very  se- 


282  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

vere  summer  pruning,  which  in  some  cases  threatens  serious 
injury,  though  in  others  the  unsightliness  produced  is  the 
only  evil. 

The  young  larvae,  when  first  hatched,  are  about  one  twentieth 
of  an  inch  long,  yellowish  white  in  color,  with  eyes  and  claws 
tinged  with  red.  They  immediately  drop  from  the  tree,  un- 
less the  branches  have  previously  fallen,  and  enter  the  ground 
for  their  long  imprisonment,  and  are  supposed  by  some  to  do 
extensive  though  unseen  injury  to  the  roots  of  trees  during 
their  progress  to  their  mature  condition. 

They  are  peculiarly  a  woodland  insect,  not  being  produced 
upon  the  prairies  of  the  West,  and  disappearing  from  culti- 
vated fields.  Certain  insects,  birds,  and  probably  vermin,  de- 
stroy them  in  their  various  stages,  so  that,  although  the  num- 
ber hatched  seems  incalculable,  they  do  not,  on  the  whole,  ad- 
vance in  numbers,  but  probably  rather  recede. 

ROSE  BUG,  OR  MACRODACTYLUS  SUBSPINOSA. 
Fig.  141.  This  is  an  insect  of  the  beetle  tribe,  about 

half  an  inch  long,  of  a  yellowish-brown  color, 
having,  like  the  May-bug,  a  pair  of  gauze  wings 
protected  by  hard  coverings,  and  large  feet 
that  feel  like  claws  when  they  touch  the  skin. 
They  appear  suddenly  in  June,  and  continue  for 

a.  Insect  perfected.  J  •>  . 

6.  Eggs  as  deposited  a  few  weeks,  when  the  tcmales  crawl  into  the 
ground,  where  they  deposit  about  thirty  eggs, 
which  are  whitish  and  almost  globular.  These  hatch  in  about 
twenty  days,  and  the  young  grow  to  their  full  size  before  win- 
ter. At  the  approach  of  severe  weather  they  descend  into  the 
ground  below  the  reach  of  frost,  and  become  torpid.  Reviving 
in  the  spring,  and  working  their  way  back  to  the  surface,  un- 
dergoing in  the  mean  time  some  changes,  they  come  out  to 
their  accustomed  work  at  the  usual  season,  all  prepared  for 
mischief. 

They  are  voracious  yet  dainty  feeders,  preferring  the  blos- 
soms of  the  rose  and  the  grape,  and  the  ripening  fruit  of 
the  cherry,  which  they  utterly  destroy ;  but  when  these  can 
not  be  had,  stripping  the  linden  and  cherry  trees  of  their 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  283 

foliage,  sometimes   hanging   in  clusters   upon  the  denuded 
branches. 

Like  most  other  insects,  they  have  enemies.  The  darning- 
needle,  perhaps  some  birds,  and  domestic  fowls  to  a  limited  ex- 
tent, destroy  them.  The  latter  are  said  to  be  sometimes  in- 
jured by  them ;  it  may  be  from  irritation  of  the  throat,  &c., 
caused  by  their  rough  claws. 

They  are  generally  so  numerous,  however,  that  these  ene- 
mies make  no  perceptible  diminution  in  their  ravages,  nor  has 
any  effectual  remedy  for  them  been  found.  Net  coverings  are, 
of  course,  a  perfect  defense,  and  grape-vines  may  be  protected 
by  sowing  plaster  freely  over  them  in.  the  morning  when  the 
rose  bug  first  comes,  repeating  the  application  if  washed  off  by 
rain.  It  seems  to  annoy  and  stupefy  them,  perhaps  interfering 
with  their  respiration.  It  does  not,  however,  destroy  them ; 
the  only  process  which  really  effects  this  is  to  gather  them  by. 
hand  into  a  pan  of  water  every  morning,  or  beat  them  into 
sheets  spread  to  catch  them,  and  either  crush,  or  drown,  or 
burn  them. 

This  process  is  made  easier  by  being  performed  at  once  on 
their  first  appearance.  They  are  then  found  mostly  in  pairs, 
and  are  sluggish  and  readily  caught. 

VARIOUS  WASHES  TO  DESTROY  INSECTS. 
Washes  to  destroy  insect^  life  are  mostly  either  saline,  cr 
poisonous,  or  alkaline,  and,  unless  used  with  caution  and  mod- 
eration, become  also  dangerous  to  the  health  or  life  of  the  plant 
to  which  they  are  applied.  It  is  better  to  use  them  in  the 
evening  or  in  cloudy  weather  than  in  bright  sun,  and  to  re- 
peat the  application  than  to  make  it  only  once  and  too  strong. 
Should  this  be  done  by  accident,  water  immediately  and  freely. 

NO.  1.      BRINE  WASH. 

This  may  be  made  either  a  saturated  solution,  as  the  old 
brine  of  meat-barrels,  or  weakened  by  adding  one  third  water. 
In  either  case,  apply  it  moderately  with  a  swab  or  brush  to  the 
bark  of  strong  trees  only.  It  destroys  some  insects  and  much 
fungous  growth. 


284  AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 

NO.  2.      SOAP-SUDS. 

Suds  made  strong,  either  with  hard  or  soft  soap ;  the  prod- 
uct of  the  wash-tub ;  they  may  be  freely  and  safely  applied 
as  above  directed,  and  ashes- may  be  added  to  strengthen  them, 
if  necessary. 

NO.  3.      LEY  WASH. 

1  pound  potash  or  soda. 
4  gallons  of  water. 

Dissolve  thoroughly,  and  apply  it  moderately  with  a  swab 
or  brush  at  the  approach  of  rain.  It  destroys  eggs  and  insects. 
If  used  for  the  scale  or  shell  bark-louse,  use  a  hard  brush,  or  a 
Manilla  glove,  or  swab,  or  a  rubber  of  the  cocoanut  husk. 

1  NO.  4.      SOFT   SOAP  WASH. 

This  is  either  common  soft  soap  of  the  stores  smeared  on  to 
the  tree,  or  laid  in  its  crotches  to  be  washed  gradually  over  it 
by  the  rains,  or  it  is  this  diluted  with  an  equal  measure  of 
water,  or  twice  it$Mmeasure  of  the  tobacco  water,  No.  6. 

NO.  5.      WHALE-OIL   SOAP  WASH. 

2  pounds  whale-oil  soap. 

15  gallons  water,  or  tobacco  water,  No.  6. 

To  be  well  stirred,  and  applied  with  swab,  brush,  or 
syringe. 

Whale-oil  soap  is  simply  an  alkaline  residuum  formed  in  the 
process  of  bleaching  common  oils,  varying  in  strength  accord- 
ing as  potash  or  soda  may  be  used  for  the  purpose.  The  wash 
made  in  the  proportions  here  directed  is  generally  milder,  and 
therefore  safer,  than  No.  3,  especially  if  the  latter  be  made 
with  potash. 

NO.  6.      TOBACCO   WATER. 

1  pound  refuse  tobacco. 
10  gallons  of  water. 

If  the  water  be  poured  on  when  boiling,  and  it  be  repeatedly 
stirred,  it  may  be  used  when  cool. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  285 

If  cold  water  is  used,  let  it  stand  in  a  vessel  for  a  week  be- 
fore using,  stirring  it  often. 

It  may  be  applied  in  the  usual  manner,  or  the  plants  or 
young  shoots  infested  with  the  aphis  may  be  dipped  into  it 
for  a  few  moments,  and,  after  draining  off,  should  be  thorough- 
ly showered  with  clear  water. 

NO.  7.       TOBACCO   WASH. 

2  pounds  leaf  or  cut  tobacco,  or  common  snuff. 

2  pounds  potash  or  soda. 
20  gallons  of  water. 

Boil  and  stir  it  till  reduced  to  about  fifteen  gallons.  Stir 
it  immediately  before  using  it,  and  apply  it  cool  with  a  brush 
or  swab  for  the  destruction  of  the  scale  insect. 

NO.  8.       SULPHUR   PAINT. 

1  pound  flour  of  sulphur. 

6  quarts  of  soft  soap. 

Reduce  to  the  consistence  of  paint  with  tobacco  water  No.  6. 
Apply  it  with  a  brush  or  swab  to  trees  infested  with  the  scale 
insect  or  bark  louse,  and  if  a  hard  brush  or  rubber  is  used,  so 
much  the  better. 

NO.  9.     SULPHUR  WASH  FOR  GREEN-HOUSE  PLANTS,  &C. 
1  pound  soap, 
i  pound  sulphur, 
i  pound  Scotch  snuff. 
1  ounce  powdered  nux  vouiica. 

3  gallons  of  water. 

Boil  and  stir  it  for  half  an  hour ;  let  it  cool. 

Dip  the  plant  into  it  for  a  few  moments,  or  apply  the  wash 
with  a  sponge  or  brush.  Place  the  plant  so  that  the  wash  will 
not  drain  into  the  pot,  and  in  fifteen  minutes  syringe  or  show- 
er it  thoroughly  with  clear  water. 

FIELD  MICE. 

In  light  warm  soils  field  mice  are  often  very  destructive  to 
young  fruit-trees  by  girdling  them  at  or  near  the  surface  of 


286  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

the  earth,  particularly  when  the  snow  lies  long  upon  the 
ground,  or  the  grass  is  suffered  to  grow  thickly  around  the 
trees,  or  if  they  are  mulched  in  the  fall,  so  that  nesting-places 
and  materials  are  furnished. 

Digging  round  the  trees  in  the  fall,  and  keeping  them  clear, 
may  often  prevent  the  injury.  The  snow  also  should  be  trod- 
den hard  around  them.  If  these  precautions  are  not  found 
sufficient,  a  coat  of  pitch,  or  grafting  composition  No.  3,  may 
be  put  on  for  six  or  eight  inches  above  the  ground,  and  an  inch 
or  two  below.  In  cases  of  great  exposure,  pieces  of  lath  set  on 
end  firmly  around  the  stem,  and  tied  on  until  spring,  will  pro- 
tect them  ;  or  rolled  tin  or  thin  sheet  iron  may  be  sprung 
around  them,  which,  if  carefully  dried  in  spring  and  put  away, 
will  last  for  years.  A  good  cat  or  small  terrier  dog  will  hunt 
them  pretty  effectually,  and  black  snakes  are  said  to  catch 
them. 

If  trees  are  severely  injured,  or  even  entirely  girdled,  they 
may  yet  be  saved  by  making  three  or  four  clean,  smooth  cuts 
across  the  girdle,  just  as  you  would  cut  to  put  on  a  patch  bud- 
graft,  but  broader,  and  fitting  nicely  to  them  corresponding 
pieces  cut  from  the  same  or  some  other  tree,  as  you  would  cut 
the  bud  from  its  scion ;  and  it  will  aid  you  in  the  operation  if 
a  little  wood  is  taken  with  the  bark,  so  that  you  can  ever  so 
slightly  interlock  them  with  a  short  tongue,  as  in  grafting. 
Having  put  on  two  or  more  of  these,  according  to  the  size  and 
necessities  of  the  tree,  bind  them  carefully  and  firmly,  and 
cover  them  completely  with  grafting  composition  No.  3,  and 
your  tree  will  live. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Fruits  in  alphabetical  Order,  in  their  Varieties,  with  Descriptions  and  Di- 
rections for  their  Culture. 

FRUITS. 

Ix  preparing  the  following  selections  of  the  more  important 
fruits,  an  effort  has  been  made  to  limit  the  number  of  varieties, 
and  yet  not  exclude  any  desirable  peculiarity  belonging  to 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  287 

either  class.  The  lists  comprise  but  fifty  kinds  of  apples,  forty 
of  pears,  twenty-four  of  peaches,  twenty-five  of  plums,  and  six- 
teen of  cherries. 

These  may  appear  meagre  assortments  from  the  almost  in- 
numerable existing  varieties,  but  the  wants  they  will  not  meet 
are  not  likely  to  be  satisfied  by  the  mere  multiplication  of 
kinds.  Neither,  though  carefully  chosen,  are  they  given  with 
the  idea  of  selections  being  rigidly  confined  to  them  ;*  other 
kinds  of  similar  character  may  be  substituted  for  any  or  all  of 
them,  at  the  pleasure  of  the  cultivator. 

ALMOND. 
Amygdalus  Communis. 

The  almond  is  a  variety  of  the  peach,  or,  more  properly,  the 
peach  is  an  almond  improved  by  Fig  142 

cultivation,  the  almond  consist- 
ing only  of  the  pit  or  nut  and  the 
skin,  which  cracks  open  when 
ripe. 

They  are  raised  and  cultivated 
in  all  respects  as  peach-trees,  and 
will  generally  succeed  in  a  meas- 
ure where  that  fruit  will  ripen, 
but  are  best  suited  with  a  warm  a.  A  branch  in  blossom, 

soil  and  southern  climate.  &-       "     fa  fruit- 

The  bitter  almond  and  the  peach-pit  alike  afford  prussic 
acid,  but  the  large  sweet  almond  is  an  excellent  nut,  though 
hard  to  digest,  on  which  account  it  should  be  eaten  with 
raisins,. 

There  are  also  double-flowering  varieties,  the  dwarf  double 
being  a  universal  favorite,  easily  increased  by  offshoots  or 
layers. 

Seedlings  of  the  bitter  almond  are  used  to  some  extent  in 
France  as  stocks  for  budding  peaches  on,  being  thought  hardier 
and  more  enduring  than  seedlings  of  the  peach. 


288  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEX. 

APPLES. 

The  varieties  of  apples  are  so  numerous  and  diversified  that 
while  it  would  seem  as  if  all  tastes,  soils,  and  localities  might 
be  suited,  there  is,  on  this  very  account,  some  difficulty  in 
making  a  selection. 

In  addition,  therefore,  to  the  information  given  in  the  sub- 
joined lists  of  kinds,  and  the  suggestions  in  reference  to  the 
selection  of  fruit,  page  192,  little  aid  can  be  afforded  in  mak- 
ing choice  of  varieties. 

In  general,  and  particularly  to  the  northward,  except  for  lo- 
calities within  easy  reach  of  a  market,  it  will  be  found  wise  to 
plant  the  late  fall  and  winter  varieties  more  largely  than  the 
earlier  kinds,  and  acid  or  subacid  fruits  rather  than  sweet 
ones. 

In  respect  to  soil,  some  varieties  will  not  bear  a  sandy,  and 
others  will  not  do  well  upon  a  clay  soil,  but  almost  every  va- 
riety will  succeed  upon  a  moderately  deep  loam,  if  the  climate 
of  the  locality  is  such  as  to  suit  them ;  and  even  upon  soils 
comparatively  cold  and  wet,  good  fruit  may  be  raised  if  atten- 
tion is  given  to  carrying  off  the  superabundant  water  by  means 
of  open  drains  made  with  the  plow.  Efficient  under- draining 
will  be  found  still  better,  and  all  land  having  clay  or  hardpan 
underneath,  upon  which  the  orchard  is  to  be  planted,  if  not 
under-drained,  should  first  be  thoroughly  subsoiled  or  trench- 
plowed. 

In  orchard  culture,  in  good  soils,  apple  trees  should  not  stand 
less  than  forty  feet  apart  every  way.  When  dwarfed  for  gar- 
den culture  or  for  combination  they  may  be  set  from  ten  to 
twelve  feet  apart,  and  should  be  regularly  summer  pruned  by 
nipping  the  ends  of  the  young  shoots  through  the  season,  and 
in  the  winter  pruning  should  be  cut  back  only  just  enough  to 
preserve  the  vigor  and  symmetry  of  the  tree.  See  Pruning, 
page  253-4. 

Apples  have  become  of  late,  more  than  ever,  one  of  the  neces- 
saries of  life,  and  every  person  should,  if  possible,  so  arrange 
the  varieties  selected  as  to  secure  to  his  family  the  enjoyment 
of  them  throughout  the  year.  This  may  be  accomplished  by 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  289 

the  choice  of  a  very  few  first-rate  kinds,  such  as  in  their  times 
of  ripening  will  just  overlap  one  another,  beginning  with  the 
earliest,  and  running  through  to  the  latest  variety. 

Those  intended  for  keeping,  whether  of  the  summer  and  fall 
or  winter  and  spring  varieties,  should  be  gathered  a  little  be- 
fore they  become  ripe,  and  be  carefully  stored  in  a  cool,  dry 
room  or  cellar.  By  this  means  the  earlier  kinds  may  be  kept 
into  the  fall,  and  fall  varieties  until  near  New  Year. 

In  gathering  the  general  crop,  the  russetings  should  be 
picked  first,  and  in  succession  the  other  late-keeping  varieties, 
back  to  those  intended  for  early  winter  use,  unless  we  may  ex- 
cept from  this  order  any  particular  variety  which,  if  left  upon 
the  tree,  might  be  in  special  danger  from  winds. 

From  necessity,  apples  are  sometimes  buried  or  binned  in 
mass ;  but  it  is  better,  if  possible,  to  store  them  in  headed 
barrels,  in  a  dry,  well-aired  cellar,  sorting  out  all  that  are  de- 
fective at  least  once  during  winter.  For  those  of  choice  vari- 
eties or  of  special  beauty,  each  fruit  should  be  wrapped  in  thin 
Manilla  paper,  and  placed  by  hand  singly  and  closely  in  the 
barrel,  filling  in  as  you  go,  if  convenient,  with  dry  chaff,  or 
buckwheat  bran,  or  powdered  charcoal,  or  plaster,  or  clean  dried 
sand,  or  tasteless,  inodorous  sawdust.  All  these,  however,  may 
be  dispensed  with,  simply  heading  the  barrel  well  up,  and  han- 
dling it  carefully. 

The  general  modes  in  which  apples  are  used  need  not  be 
enumerated  here ;  but  the  daily  use  of  them  in  the  form  of 
baked,  or  rather  stewed  apples,  is  so  generally  agreeable,  and 
so  conducive  to  health  at  those  seasons  when  other  fruits  can 
only  be  had  in  the  less. wholesome  form  of  preserves,  that  it  may 
be  recommended  for  universal  adoption.  For  this  purpose,  the 
apples  are  selected  perfectly  sound  and  free  from  worms,  and 
are  either  washed  or  wiped  clean,  and  placed  in  a  covered  pot 
or  stewpan,  with  water  and  molasses  in  the  proportion  of  a  quart 
of  the  former  and  a  gill  of  the  latter,  or  four  table-spoonfuls  of 
sugar  to  half  a  peck  of  fruit,  adding  orange-peel,  or  sliced  lem- 
on, or  ginger,  or  other  flavoring  according  to  taste.  They  are 
then  boiled  over  a  slow  fire  until  the  remaining  sirup  is  about 
equal  to  the  quantity  of  molasses  used  at  first,  the  fruit  being 

N 


290  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

watched  and  changed  from  top  to  bottom,  to  give  each  apple  a 
chance  for  perfect  and  equal  cooking,  which  will  ordinarily  be 
accomplished  in  about  an  hour. 

SELECTION   OF   FIFTY   KINDS. 

The  varieties  named  below  are  arranged  nearly  in  the  order 
in  which  they  will  be  found  to  ripen  under  equal  circumstances 
in  any  given  latitude.  Their  general  times  of  ripening  at 
New  York  are  stated,  in  order  to  afford  a  kind  of  fixed  point 
from  which  to  calculate  for  other  localities.  They  are  classed 
as  small,  as  the  early  strawberry ;  medium  sized,  as  the  Van- 
dervere ;  or  large,  as  the  fall  pippin ;  in  respect  to  flavor,  as 
acid,  subacid,  and  sweet.  Apples  and  other  fruits  are  liable  to 
vary  considerably  in  form,  coloring,  and  general  appearance,  as. 
well  as  quality  and  flavor,  in  different  soils  and  climates,  but  in 
general  the  outlines  will  afford  an  accurate  idea  of  their  figure. 

1.   EARLY  MAY. 
Fig.  143. 


Tree  of  moderate  and  rather  upright  growth,  forming  a  pretty 
compact  head,  and  bearing  well. 

Fruit  very  small,  almost  round,  green,  becoming  yellowish 
white  when  ripe.  Flesh  white,  tender,  and  not  very  juicy. 
Flavor  mild  subacid.  Ripens  about  the  last  of  June  at  New 
York ;  its  name  is  Virginian. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


291 


2.    EARLY   STRAWBERRY. 
Fig.  144. 


Tree  erect,  and  of  medium  vigor ;  young  shoots  dark ;  a  free 
bearer. 

Fruit  small,  roundish  or  semiconical,  yellowish  green,  with 
some  lively  red  stripes  ;  ripens  about  the  middle  of  July.  Flesh 
white,  sometimes  slightly  veined  with  red.  Flavor  sprightly, 
subacid,  with  some  little  aroma. 

"  3.    EARLY   HARVEST  (Fig.  145). 

Tree  very  thrifty,  making  numerous  long  shoots,  forming  a 
rather  spreading  yet  bushy  head  that  requires  thinning. 
Needs  and  deserves  high  culture. 

Fruit  above  medium,  round,  skin  very  smooth,  greenish 
white,  changing  to  straw  color  as  it  ripens. 

Flesh  white,  tender,  crisp,  and  juicy. 

Flavor  fine,  sprightly  acid.  .  Ripens  from  .the  latter  part  of 
July  to  the  middle  of  August. 


292 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

Fig.  145. 


4.  SWEET  BOUGH. 
Fig.  146. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


298 


Tree  of  moderate  growth,  making  a  rather  round  head,  and 
bearing  fair  crops.  Young  shoots  yellowish. 

Fruit  above  medium  ;  roundish,  to  obtuse  conical ;  yellow- 
ish- white,  with  occasionally  a  blush  cheek. 

Flesh  white,  tender,  and  tolerably  juicy  ;  skin  tough. 

Flavor  a  fine,  rich  sweet,  especially  when  permitted  to  ma- 
ture perfectly  upon  the  tree. 

Ripening  from  last  of  July  to  middle  of  August. 

5.    RED   ASTRACHAN. 

Fig.  147. 


Tree  a  fine,  vigorous  grower,  rather  upright,  and  round 
head ;  hardy  and  productive  in  almost  every  variety  of  soil 
and  climate. 

Fruit  above  medium  ;  roundish  ;  flattened ;  greenish -yellow 
in  the  shade,  but  mostly  bright  crimson,  overspread  with  a 
fine  white  rich  bloom. 

Flesh  pure  white,  tender,  and  crisp,  with  an  abundant  juici- 
ness, which  it  loses  if  it  be  not  gathered  early. 

Flavor  a  brisk  and  rather  sharp,  but  agreeable  acid. 

Ripens  in  July  and  to  the  middle  of  August. 


294 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


6.   SUMMER  ROSE. 

Fig.  148. 


Tree  of  moderate  growth  and  roundish  form,  bearing  well. 

Fruit  small,  roundish,  somewhat  flattened,  pale  yellow, 
blotched  and  striped  with  red  on  the  sunny  side. 

Flesh  white,  tender,  and  juicy. 

Flavor  fine,  pleasant  subacid.  Ripens  early  in  August,  and 
continues  for  some  time. 

In  certain  localities,  where  it  may  have  been  tested,  the  Be- 
noni,  which  is  an  eastern  apple  of  about  the  same  size  and 
season  as  the  Summer  Rose,  may  be  substituted  for  it.  It  is 
a  deep  red  fruit,  of  pleasant  subacid  flavor,  and  the  tree  grows 
and  bears  well. 

7.   WILLIAMS'S  FAVORITE. 

Tree  of  medium  vigor,  and  good  bearer,  but  greatly  benefited 
by  deep  soil  and  high  culture. 

Fruit  of  medium  size,  sometimes  pretty  large,  oblong-ovate, 
inclining  to  conical,  almost  covered  with  bright  red  stripes, 
deepening  to  crimson  in  the  sun  ;  a  fruit  of  fine  appearance. 

Flesh  yellowish-white,  moderately  juicy  and  tender. 

Flavor  mild,  agreeable  subacid.     Ripe  in  August. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 
Fig.  149. 


295 


8.  SUMMER  PIPPIN  (Fig.  150). 

Tree  of  strong  growth  and  spreading  habit;  young  shoots 
light  brown  ;  a  fair  though  not  heavy  bearer. 

Fruit  large,  roundish,  deep  golden  yellow ;  liable  to  crack 
when  over-ripened  on  the  tree. 

Flesh  white,  tender,  juicy. 

Flavor  fine  clear  acid.  Ripens  irregularly  through  August 
and  September,  or  later. 

The  Summer  Pippin,  which,  on  trees  in  full  bearing,  does 
not  usually  average  the  size  represented  by  the  figure,  is  val- 
uable as  a  family  fruit,  where  it  can  be  used  for  cooking,  as  it 
matures  along  through  the  fall,  but  its  irregularity  in  ripen- 
ing renders  it  less  suitable  for  marketing.  It  is  a  rather 
old  and  favorite  variety,  extensively  known  as  the  Holland  Pip- 
pin ;  but,  except  in  certain  localities,  or  with  persons  who  have 
a  particular  fancy  for  it,  other  newer  and  more  desirable  va- 
rieties will  supersede  it. 


296 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 
Fig.  15f). 


9.    GLOUCESTER   CHEESE. 

Fig.  151. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


297 


Tree  strong- growing,  compact,  and  bearing  well. 

Fruit  large,  roundish,  flattened  ;  bright  red,  with  indistinct 
stripes  of  a  lighter  shade. 

Flesh  white,  crisp,  but  mealy  when  over-ripened. 

Flavor  mild  subacid,  agreeable  and  rich.  Ripening  in  Au- 
gust and  September. 

10.   AMERICAN  PEARMAIN. 

Fig.  152. 


Tree  appearing  strong  and  vigorous,  yet  really  of  rather 
slow  growth  ;  somewhat  spreading,  and  a  good  bearer.  It  is 
suited  with  a  sandy  soil. 

Fruit  rather  large,  oblong  ;  greenish  yellow,  with  some  thin 
russet ;  dull  red  on  the  sunny  side,  obscurely  striped  and 
clouded. 

Flesh  yellowish,  and  pretty  firm,  with  slight  mealiness  when 
quite  ripe. 

Flavor  mild,  rich  subacid.  Ripens  in  August  and  Septem- 
ber. 

N2- 


298 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN*. 


11.   JERSEY   SWEETING. 

Fig.  153. 


Tree  of  strong  growth  while  young,  making  a  rather  up- 
right, compact,  rounded  head,  and  bearing  abundantly.  Not 
a  long-lived  tree. 

Fruit  medium,  roundish,  conical,  greenish -yellow,  with 
blush  cheek,  or  striped. 

Flesh  whitish,  tender,  and  juicy. 

Flavor  high,  rich,  and  sweet.  Ripening  through  August 
and  September. 

12.  MAIDEN'S  BLUSH. 

Tree  of  pretty  strong  spreading  growth,  and  an  abundant 
bearer. 

Fruit  somewhat  above  medium,  flattened,  or  nearly  cheese 
form  ;  clear  light  yellow,  with  a  brilliant  blush  cheek. 

Flesh  white,  crisp,  very  tender  and  juicy. 

Flavor  moderately  acid.     Ripens  from  August  to  October. 

The  Maiden's  Blush  so  nearly  resembles  in  appearance  and 
character  the  Hawthornden,  a  favorite  Scotch  apple,  that  it  is 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


299 


difficult  to  avoid  the  conclusion  that  the  one  is  a  sub- variety 
of  the  other ;  the  latter  is  a  little  fuller  in  the  eye  than  the 
former,  but  both  are  beautiful,  productive,  and  valuable.  Their 
clear,  but  not  strong  acid,  fits  them  for  making  pies  of  special 
excellence,  and  for  this  purpose  they  may  be  gathered  from 
early  summer  to  quite  late  fall ;  they  are  also,  on  account  of 
their  form  and  character,  superior  for  peeling  and  drying. 


Fig.  154 


13.  PORTER  (Fig.  155). 

Tree  erect,  and  of  fine,  rapid  growth,  requiring  care  to  keep 
the  head  sufficiently  open  ;  healthful,  and  a  good  bearer. 

Fruit  medium,  or  above ;  regular  oblong  conical ;  yellow, 
with  red  upon  the  sunny  side. 

Flesh  white,  tender,  juicy. 

Flavor  fine  mild  subacid  to  acid. 

Ripens  in  September  and  October. 

The  Porter  is  a  favorite  in  Boston  and  vicinity,  and  succeeds 
well  throughout  the  North,  where  it  is  used  both  for  eating  out 
of  hand  and  cooking ;  for  the  latter  use,  the  Keswick  Codlin, 
which  in  general  form  and  color  somewhat  resembles  it,  may 
be  profitably  substituted  for  it  at  the  West.  It  is  a  heavy 


300  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

bearer,  even  upon  young  trees,  and,  like  the  Maiden's  Blush 
and  Hawthornden,  may  be  used  throughout  the  season,  or  dried 
for  winter  and  spring. 


Fig.  155. 


14.    GRAVEXSTEIX. 

Tree  of  vigorous  growth,  and  regular  though  expanding  hab- 
it. A  good  bearer. 

Fruit  large,  roundish,  flattened ;  yellow,  with  orange  por- 
tions, splashed  and  marbled  with  much  red,  having  also  a  few 
green  dots. 

Flesh  yellowish- white,  crisp,  and  juicy. 

Flavor  fine  subacid  to  vinous.  Ripens  in  September  and 
October.  It  deserves  and  finds  favor  every  where  as  an  acqui- 
sition to  the  garden  and  orchard. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 
Fig-  156. 


301 


15.    HAWLEY. 

Fig.  157. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 

Tree  strong  and  spreading ;  a  good  and  constant  bearer. 

Fruit  large,  round,  flattened,  occasionally  unequal-sided ; 
yellow,  sometimes  with  a  slight  blush ;  in  certain  soils  and 
localities  subject  to  bitter  rot. 

Flesh  yellowish,  firm,  crisp,  and  juicy. 

Flavor  fine  rich  subacid.  Ripens  in  October,  and  keeps  to 
the  middle  of  December. 


16.  FALL  PIPPIN. 

Fig.  158. 


Tree  strong  and  spreading ;  mostly  crooked  while  young ;  a 
good  bearer,  but  apt  to  be  imperfect  unless  under  good  culture 
and  in  a  genial  climate. 

Fruit  large,  roundish,  sometimes  slightly  ribbed ;  clear  yel- 
low, rarely  with  a  faint  blush. 

Flesh  yellowish- white,  tender,  firm,  and  juicy, 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


303 


Flavor  high,  aromatic,  rich  subacid.     Ripens  from  October 
to  December. 

17.  FAMEUSE. 

Fig.  159. 


Tree  of  only  moderate  vigor,  with  dark  shoots ;  rather  spread- 
ing ;  with  good  soil  and  culture  it  bears  well.  It  is  suited  to 
northern  latitudes. 

Fruit  medium  or  below,  fair,,  roundish  ;  greenish  -  yellow, 
streaked  and  blotched  with  vari9us  red. 

Flesh  very  white  and  tender. 

Flavor  light  acid,  with  some  perfume.  Ripens  from  Octo- 
ber to  December. 

18.  MOTHER  (Fig.  160). 

Tree  of  moderate  growth,  bearing  well  and  constantly. 

Fruit  medium  or  above,  roundish,  oblong,  or  conical ;  rich 
red  upon  yellow,  with  deeper  red  on  portions  of  the  sunny  side. 

Flesh  yellow,  tender,  and  juicy. 

Flavor  of  a  mild  subacid,  sugary  character,  rich  and  spicy. 
Ripens  from  October  to  January. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 
Fig.  160. 


19.    VANDERVERE. 
Fig.  161. 

.Tv 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  305 

Tree  rather  spreading,  a  moderate  grower,  and  a  good  bearer 
in  warm  soils  and  localities ;  much  benefited  by  high  culture. 

Fruit  medium  or  above,  roundish-flattened ;  yellow  or  or- 
ange, with  much  red  in  the  sun,  but  variable,  being  some- 
times wax-like  and  of  exquisite  beauty. 

Flesh  yellow,  firm,  and  not  very  juicy. 

Flavor  mild,  rich  subacid,  of  the  highest  quality.  Ripens 
from  October  to  January. 

20.  DYER. 

Fig.  162. 


Tree  of  spreading  habit  and  but  moderate  growth  ;  a  tolera- 
ble bearer. 

Fruit  pretty  large,  roundish,  slightly  flattened ;  whitish, 
with  a  faint  blush. 

Flesh  yellowish-white,  crisp,  and  tender. 

Flavor  mild,  sprightly  subacid  :  excellent.  Ripens  from  Oc- 
tober to  January. 


806 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


21.  HUBBARDSTON  NONSUCH. 

Fig.  163. 


Tree  strong,  with  expanding  branches,  and  rather  slender, 
grayish  young  shoots  ;  an  abundant  bearer. 

Fruit  above  medium,  roundish-ovate  ;  yellow  and  orange, 
almost  covered  with  red  stripes,  and  having  in  general  a  little 
russet  near  the  stem. 

Flesh  yellowish,  firm,  tender,  and  moderately  juicy. 

Flavor  fine  aromatic  subacid.  Ripens  from  November  to 
January. 

22.  MINISTER. 

Tree  moderately  free  in  growth,  with  flexuous  young  shoots ; 
very  productive. 

Fruit  above  medium,  oblong-ovate  or  conical ;  greenish-yel- 
low, striped  and  dashed  with  red. 

Flesh  yellowish-white,  so  tender  as  to  require  special  care 
in  handling. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


307 


Flavor  pleasant,  having  a  certain  resemblance  to  the  light, 
sprightly  acid  of  a  natural  or  wild  fruit.  Ripens  from  No- 
vember to  January. 


Fig.  164. 


23.  HURLBUT  (Fig.  165). 

Tree  of  vigorous  growth,  and  a  great  bearer. 

Fruit  medium  or  below,  roundish-conical ;  yellow,  almost 
covered  with  rather  deep  red,  and  having  some  russet  around 
the  stem. 

Flesh  yellowish-white,  firm,  not  very  juicy. 

Flavor  mild  subacid,  slightly  aromatic,  and  very  pleasant. 
Hi  pens  from  November  to  January. 


308 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 
Fis.  165. 


24.   MALE   CARLE. 

Fig.  166 

A 


Tree  pretty  strong,  but  varying  much  in  its  growth  with 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


309 


soil  and  climate ;  a  pretty  good  bearer ;  suited  to  warm  lati- 
tudes. 

Fruit  medium  to  large,  nearly  globular ;  light  yellow,  with 
crimson  cheek. 

Flesh  white,  fine-grained,  and  tender. 

Flavor  rose  perfume,  mingled  with  a  fine  subacid.  Ripens 
from  November  to  January. 

25.    CHANDLER. 

Fi?.  167. 


Tree  of  moderate  growth,  but  bearing  heavily,  requiring 
high  culture  and  thinning  of  the  crop  while  young  to  avoid  a 
large  proportion  of  imperfect  fruit. 

Fruit  large,  round,  flattened,  oblique ;  covered  with  dull  red 
upon  a  greenish  ground. 

Flesh  white,  firm,  and  rather  coarse. 

Flavor  mild  subacid,  rather  rich,  pleasant,  and  excellent. 
Ripens  from  November  to  February. 

An  apple  of  very  fine  appearance  and  character  when  per- 
fect. 


310 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


26.  PECK'S  PLEASANT. 

Fig.  168. 


Tree  a  moderate  and  rather  compact  grower,  and  good  bear- 
er, but  requiring  nigh  culture. 

Fruit  rather  large,  roundish,  flattened ;  yellow  when  ripe, 
with  a  blush  cheek  and  a  few  gray  dots. 

Flesh  yellowish-white,  juicy,  tender,  and  crisp. 

Flavor  a  fine  high  subacid.  Ripens  from  November  to  Feb- 
ruary, or  later. 

27.   JONATHAN. 

Tree  vigorous,  of  spreading  or  drooping  habit,  and,  under 
high  culture,  very  productive. 

Fruit  medium  or  below,  roundish -conical  ;  clear  yellow 
ground,  nearly  covered  with  red  of  various  shades. 

Flesh  yellowish- white,  sometimes  pinkish  near  the  surface  ; 
juicy,  and  very  tender. 

Flavor  lively  subacid.     Ripe  from  November  to  February. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 
Fig.  169. 


311 


28.    RAMBO. 
Fig.  1TO. 


Tree  rather  upright,  of  slow  growth,  but  a  good  bearer. 


312 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


Fruit  medium,  round,  flattened,  nearly  cheese  form ;  green- 
ish-yellow, with  some  thin  russet  and  a  brownish  cheek. 

Flesh  greenish- white,  firm,  and  moderately  juicy. 

Flavor  fine,  clear  subacid,  of  considerable  richness.  Ripens 
from  November  to  February. 

Best  south  of  New  York ;  it  is  the  popular  Seek-no-further 
of  the  Philadelphia  markets. 

29.    WESTFIELD    SEEK-NO-FURTHER. 

Fig.  171. 


Tree  of  fine  vigorous  growth,  and  an  excellent  bearer. 

Fruit  medium  or  above,  roundish-conical ;  dull  red  over  yel- 
lowish-green ground,  with  russet  dots  or  patches ;  variable ; 
occasionally  subject  to  bitter  rot. 

Flesh  yellowish-white,  fine-grained,  tender,  and  crisp. 

Flavor  mild  subacid,  peculiar  and  excellent.  Ripening  from 
November  to  February. 

30.   BROAD  WELL  SWEET. 

Tree  spreading,  of  strong  growth,  with  yellowish  young 
shoots ;  a  good  bearer. 

Fruit  rather  large,  roundish  -  conical  or  flattened ;  skin 
smooth,  greenish-yellow,  bronzed  in  the  sun. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

Fig.  172. 


313 


Flesh  white,  tender,  and  juicy. 

Flavor  fine,  sweet,  and  often  rich.  Ripens  from  November 
to  February,  or  later. 

This  is  a  new  and  excellent  winter  sweet  apple,  a  native  of 
Southern  Ohio. 

31.    AMERICAN   GOLDEN  RUSSET  (Fig.  173). 

Tree  erect  and  moderately  thrifty ;  young  shoots  drab  color  ; 
bears  fair  and  constant  crops,  and  is  well  suited  with  high 
culture. 

Fruit  small,  conical  or  roundish-ovate  ;  dull  yellow,  covered 
with  thin  russet. 

Flesh  yellowish,  very  tender  and  juicy,  almost  melting  when 
fully  ripe. 

Flavor  mild  subacid,  with  a  fine  rich  spiciness.  Ripens 
from  November  to  February. 

The  American  Golden  Russet  is  small,  but  of  superior  qual- 
ity, and  especially  worthy  of  extensive  garden  culture.  In 
cold  soils  and  localities  it  sometimes  fails  to  ripen,  and  is 
then  inferior. 

0 


314 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 
Fig.  173. 


32.   WAGENER. 

Fig.  174. 


Tree  of  vigorous  growth ;   young  shoots  green ;  a  regular 
and  fair  bearer ;  will  repay  care  and  high  culture. 

Fruit  medium  or  above,  roundish,  flattened,  and  often  ribbed 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  315 

or  irregular  ;  yellow,  covered  with  stripes  and  shadings  of  light 
and  dark  red,  mingled  with  russet  spots  or  streaks. 

Flesh  yellowish-white,  fine-grained,  tender,  firm,  and  juicy. 

Flavor  subacid,  with  a  vinous  sprightliness,  and  some  aro- 
ma. Ripens  from  November  to  last  of  February,  or  later. 

33.    RHODE   ISLAND   GREENING. 
Fig.  175. 


Tree  of  fine,  strong  growth,  often  crooked  while  young,  but 
forming  a  fine  spreading,  symmetrical  head  ;  hardy,  and  bear- 
ing heavy  crops  of  perfect  fruit. 

Fruit  above  medium,  often  large,  round,  very  slightly  coni- 
cal ;  skin  rough,  with  spots  of  semi-russet ;  green,  becoming 
dull  yellow  when  perfectly  ripe. 

Flesh  yellowish,  tender,  crisp,  breaking,  and  juicy. 

Flavor  clear,  sprightly,  rich  acid.  Ripens  from  November 
to  March. 

34.    YELLOW   BELLE   FLEUR. 

Tree  thrifty,  rather  upright,  with  yellowish  young  shoots ; 
a  fair  bearer,  requiring  good  soil  and  a  rather  warm  climate. 


316 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 
Eig.  176. 


Fruit  quite  large,  long,  ovate-conical,  irregular ;  of  a  lemon- 
yellow  color,  with  a  very  slight  blush. 

Flesh  white,  fine-grained,  tender,  and  crisp. 

Flavor  mild,  pleasant  subacrd,  with  a  slight  aroma.  Ripens 
from  November  to  March. 

35.    DANVERS  SWEET. 

Tree  spreading  ;  young  shoots  yellowish  ;  of  rapid  growth, 
and  an  abundant  bearer,  especially  in  rich,  strong  soils. 

Fruit  medium,  roundish-oblong  or  conical,  smooth ;  rather 
deep  yellow  when  ripe,  with  a  shade  of  blush  or  orange,  slight- 
ly specked  with  russet. 

Flesh  yellow,  sweet,  and  rich. 

In  use  from  November  to  March. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 

Fig.  177. 


317 


36.    ORTLEY. 
Fig.  178. 


318 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 


Tree  of  vigorous  growth,  rather  upright,  with  slender  young 
shoots  ;  in  rich  soils  a  great  bearer. 

Fruit  medium  sized  to  large,  oblong  or  oblong-ovate  ;  lively 
yellow,  with  a  bright  blush,  somewhat  speckled  with  light 
spots  and  patches  of  gray  russet. 

Flesh  yellowish-white,  crisp,  firm. 

Flavor  sprightly  perfumed  subacid.  Ripens  from  Novem- 
ber to  April. 

37.   BALDWIN. 
Fig.  179. 


Tree  very  vigorous,  forming  a  fine,  symmetrical,  and  heavy 
head ;  bearing  abundantly. 

Fruit  large,  roundish-ovate  or  conical,  narrowing  rather  rap- 
idly toward  the  eye,  but  sometimes  slightly  flattened ;  dull 
yellow  ground,  striped  and  shaded  with  red  of  varied  depth, 
with  some  gray  dots. 

Flesh  yellowish,  crisp,  not  very  juicy. 

Flavor  a  high,  rich  subacid.  Ripens  from  November  to 
April. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


319 


38.   WINE  APPLE. 
Fig.  180. 


Tree  thrifty,  spreading,  hardy,  and  an  abundant  bearer. 

Fruit  above  medium,  round,  flattened,  irregular  or  oblique  ; 
bright  varied  red  over  yellow,  or  yellow  striped,  with  some 
russet  near  the  stem. 

Flesh  yellowish-white,  juicy,  crisp. 

Flavor  rich  vinous,  slightly  acid.  Ripens  from  November 
to  May. 

39.  SWAAR  (Fig.  181). 

Tree  of  strong  growth,  and  a  fair  bearer,  succeeding  best  in  a 
dry,  deep  loam ;  it  deserves  and  will  well  repay  special  care 
and  high  culture. 

Fruit  rather  large,  round,  flattened,  sometimes  irregular; 
dead-gold  color,  with  a  little  russet  or  darkish  spots. 

Flesh  yellowish,  fine-grained,  and  tender. 

Flavor  very  rich  and  aromatic  subacid,  with  considerable 
spicy  fragrance.  Ripens  from  December  to  March. 


320 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

Fig.  181. 


40.  RED  CANADA. 

Fig.  182 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


321 


Tree  spreading,  thrifty,  but  of  rather  slender  growth  ;  a 
good  bearer. 

Fruit  medium  or  above,  roundish-conical,  or  flattened  at  the 
base ;  greenish  to  yellow,  covered  with  various  shades  of  red, 
with  many  small  gray  russet  dots. 

Flesh  white,  fine-grained,  firm,  and  juicy. 

Flavor  fine  rich  subacid.     Ripens  from  December  to  March. 


Fig.  183. 


41.  LADY   APPLE. 

Tree  erect,  vigorous,  though 
not  of  large  growth ;  its  young 
shoots  black ;  a  free  bearer 
when  it  attains  age. 

Fruit  very  small,  round, 
flattened  to  cheese  form ; 
clear  light  yellow,  with  bright 
red  cheek,  smooth  and  glossy. 

Flesh  yellowish-white,  firm, 
tender. 

Flavor  mild  subacid.     Ripens  from  December  to  March. 

42.  PRYOR'S  RED. 

Fig.  184 


322  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

Tree  of  strong,  free  growth,  and  an  abundant  bearer. 

Fruit  medium  to  large,  roundish  to  roundish-conical,  irreg- 
ular, and  very  variable  in  form,  often  becoming  angular ;  green- 
ish-yellow, nearly  covered  with  dull  red,  and  somewhat  rus- 
seted. 

Flesh  yellowish,  tender,  and  fine-grained,  but  not  very 
juicy. 

Flavor  mild  and  agreeable  subacid.  Ripens  from  December 
to  March,  or  later. 

43.    NORTHERN   SPY. 
Fig.  185. 


Tree  of  rapid  and  rather  erect  growth,  with  stout,  spotted 
young  shoots,  making  a  finely-formed  but  close  head ;  and, 
with  high  culture  and  age,  bearing  fair  fruit,  and  freely. 

Fruit  large,  roundish  -  conical,  obscurely  ribbed ;  yellow, 
nearly  covered  with  streaks  of  various  red  or  crimson. 

Flesh  yellowish-white,  tender,  juicy. 

Flavor  rich,  aromatic  subacid.  Ripens  from  December  to 
April. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


323 


44.   WOOD'S  GREENING. 

Fig.  186. 


Tree  rather  spreading,  and  of  slender  growth ;  in  strong 
soils  or  under  high  culture,  a  good  and  uniform  bearer. 

Fruit  medium  to  large,  roundish-conical,  somewhat  flatten- 
ed ;  green,  turning  yellow  as  it  ripens. 

Flesh  greenish-white,  fine-grained,  and  tender. 

Flavor  pleasant  subacid.     Ripens  from  January  to  March. 

45.  YELLOW  NEWTOWN  PIPPIN  (Fig.  187). 

Tree  of  slow  growth,  with  rough  bark  even  while  young, 
but  hardy,  long-lived,  and,  in  favorable  soil  and  climate,  a 
good  bearer  ;  needs  and  deserves  high  culture. 

Fruit  medium  to  large,  irregular,  generally  round,  flattened, 
and  slightly  oblique ;  in  fine  specimens  inclining  to  oblong ; 
often  scabbed  and  imperfect  in  unfavorable  circumstances. 

Flesh  yellowish,  firm,  juicy. 

Flavor  high,  rich,  and  fragrant,  with  moderate  acid.  The 
finest  apple  known.  Ripens  from  January  to  May. 

The  Green  Newtown  Pippin  is  distinguishable  only  by  the 


324 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN 
Fig.  187. 


appearance  of  the  fruit,  which  is  generally  of  flatter  form,  and 
green,  and  by  some  is  thought  to  be  rather  more  juicy,  and  to 
keep  better. 

Both  the  yellow  and  the  green  Newtown  Pippin  are  found 
of  very  varied  quality  in  different  localities,  a  result  attributa- 
ble largely,  I  think,  to  the  existence  of  seedling  sub- varieties. 

46.  LADIES'  SWEETING. 

Tree  spreading,  a  little  irregular,  thrifty,  but  the  young 
growth  rather  slender  ;  bears  abundantly. 

Fruit  medium  or  above,  roundish-ovate,  sometimes  longer ; 
yellowish-green,  striped,  or  having  considerable  red,  covered 
by  a  slight  bloom ;  sometimes  scarcely  distinguishable  from 
the  Flushing  Spitzenbergh. 

Flesh  greenish-white,  firm,  crisp,  and  juicy. 

Flavor  rather  subacid  than  sweet,  exceedingly  pleasant,  per- 
fumed, and  rich.  Ripens  from  January  to  May,  retaining  its 
freshness  to  the  last. 

This  favorite  apple,  under  various  names,  has  been  very 
widely  diffused  from  its  original  home  upon  the  Hudson,  and 
well  deserves  more  attention  and  more  special  care  in  its  culti- 
vation as  a  market  fruit  than  it  has  vet  received. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


Fig.  188. 


325 


47.  RATTLE'S  JANET. 

Fig.  189. 


326  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

Tree  of  only  moderate  growth,  but  an  abundant  bearer ;  blos- 
soming late,  and  seldom  injured  by  spring  frosts. 

Fruit  medium  to  large  ;  roundish,  flattened  at  the  stem,  and 
often  oblique ;  skin  tough  ;  light  yellow,  striped  with  varying 
red,  according  to  exposure,  with  some  spots  of  mould  and  russet. 

Flesh  yellowish- white,  fine-grained,  crisp,  and  juicy. 

Flavor  mild,  rich  subacid.     Kipens  from  January  to  May. 

48.   BOSTON  RUSSET. 
Fig.  190. 


Tree  strong  and  spreading,  bearing  heavy  crops  of  market- 
able fruit. 

Fruit  medium  to  large,  roundish,  flattened,  sometimes  slight- 
ly angular  or  ribbed  ;  dull  green  russet,  becoming  brown,  occa- 
sionally reddish  bronzed  on  the  sunny  side. 

Flesh  greenish-white,  a  little  coarse,  firm  and  juicy. 

Flavor  rich  subacid.     Ripens  from  January  to  June. 

49.    POUGHKEEPSIE   RUSSET. 

Tree  erect,  vigorous  ;  young  shoots  reddish-brown  ;  a  heavy 
bearer. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

Fig.  191. 


327 


Fruit  below  medium ;  ovate  or  conical ;  pale  greenish-yel- 
low, mostly  covered  with  light  brown  russet. 

Flesh  yellowish-white,  firm,  dry. 

Flavor  rich  subacid.  Seldom  fit  for  eating  out  of  hand,  but 
excellent  when  stewed  or  baked  :  see  page  289.  Ripens  from 
January  to  June  or  July. 

50.    TEWKESBURY  WINTER   BLUSH. 
Fig.  192. 


328 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


Tree  of  straight  and  rapid  growth,  and  a  free  bearer  of  fair 
fruit. 

Fruit  small,  rather  flat,  smooth,  yellow,  with  red  cheek  and 
small  russet  dots. 

Flesh  yellowish,  firm,  tender,  and  somewhat  juicy. 

Flavor  subacid.     Ripens  from  January  to  August. 

This  apple  is  remarkable  for  its  peculiarities  rather  than  its 
value.  It  is  too  small  for  profitable  marketing,  and  the  value 
it  might  otherwise  derive  from  its  keeping  quality  is  neutral- 
ized by  the  fact  that  larger  and  better  fruits  may  be  kept  till 
new  apples  come  in,  except,  possibly,  in  southern  climates. 

Lists  of  Varieties  suited  to  different  Sections  of  Country, 
numbered  in  each  Class  nearly  in  the  order  of  their  'begin- 
ning to  ripen. 

FOR   THE   EASTERN   AND    NORTHERN   STATES.     •' 


SUMMER   APPLES. 

1.  Early  Harvest,  or  Sour  Bough. 

2.  Sweet  Bough. 

3.  Eed  Astrachan. 

4.  Williams's  Favorite. 

5.  Summer  Rose. 


FALL    APPLES. 

1.  American  Pearmain. 

2.  Porter. 

3.  Gravenstein. 

4.  Fameuse. 

5.  Mother. 


1.  Hubbardston  Nonsuch. 

2.  Minister. 

3.  Rhode  Island  Greening. 

4.  Yellow  Belle  Fleur. 

5.  Baldwin. 


WINTER   APPLES. 

6.  Red  Canada. 

7.  Swaar. 

8.  Northern  Spy. 

9.  Ladies'  Sweeting. 
10.  Boston  Russet. 


SUMMER   APPLES. 

1.  Early  Strawberry. 

2.  Early  Harvest,  or  Sour  Bough. 

3.  Sweet  Bough. 

4.  Red  Astrachan. 

5.  Summer  Pippin. 


FOR  THE   MIDDLE   STATES. 

FALL   APPLES. 

1.  Jersey  Sweeting. 

2.  Maiden's  Blush. 

3.  Porter. 

4.  Gravenstein. 

5.  Hawley. 


1.  Hurlbut. 

2.  Chandler. 

3.  Peck's  Pleasant. 

4.  American  Golden  Russet. 
T>.  Wagener. 


WINTER   APPLES. 

6.  Rhode  Island  Greening. 

7.  Baldwin. 

8.  Yellow  Newtown  Pippin. 

9.  Ladies'  Sweeting. 
10.  Boston  Russet. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


329 


SUMMER   APPLES. 

1.  Early  Harvest,  or  Sour  Bough. 

2.  Early  Sweet  Bough. 

3.  Red  Astrachan. 

4.  Summer  Rose. 

5.  Williams's  Favorite. 


FOR   THE  WESTERN   STATES. 

FALL   APPLES. 

1.  Jersey  Sweeting. 

2.  Porter. 

3.  Gravenstein. 

4.  Fall  Pippin. 

5.  Dyer. 


WINTER   APPLES. 


1.  Jonathan. 

2.  Rambo. 

3.  Westfield  Seek-no-further. 

4.  Rhode  Island  Greening. 

5.  Yellow  Belle  Fleur. 


6.  Danvers  Sweet. 

7.  Ortley. 

8.  Northern  Spy. 

9.  Boston  Russet. 

10.  Poughkeepsie  Russet 


FOR   THE   SOUTHERN   OR   SOUTHWESTERN   STATES. 


SUMMER    APPLES. 

1.  Early  May. 

2.  Early  Strawberry. 

3.  Early  Harvest,  or  Sour  Bough. 

4.  Early  Sweet  Bough. 

5.  Summer  Rose. 


FALL    APPLES. 

1.  Gloucester  Cheese. 

2.  Maiden's  Blush. 

3.  Porter. 

4.  Gravenstein. 

5.  Vandervere. 


1.  Male  Carle. 

2.  Broadwell  Sweet. 

3.  American  Golden  Russet. 

4.  Ortley. 

5.  Wine  Apple. 


WINTER   APPLES. 

6.  Lady  Apple. 

7.  Pryor's  Red. 

8.  Wood's  Greening. 

9.  Raule's  Janet. 

10.  Tewkesbury  Winter  Blush. 


Perhaps  the  Poughkeepsie  Russet  might  be  advantageously 
added  to  each  of  the  above  lists  of  winter  apples  in  which  it  is 
not  inserted ;  and  for  Southern  culture  Elliott  mentions  the 
"  Carolina  Winter  Queen"  and  the  "  Nickejack"  from  North 
Carolina  as  apples  of  superior  promise.  For  the  Middle,  North- 
ern, and  Eastern  States,  the  Donald  apple,  somewhat  known  as 
Watson's  Long  Keeper,  is  worthy  of  careful  and  extended  trial. 
The  tree  is  erect  and  vigorous ;  fruit  of  a  roundish-oblong  or 
conical  form,  golden  yellow,  with  a  bright  blush-"  painted" 
cheek,  fine-grained  and  tender,  a  very  mild  subacid,  yet  of  pe- 
culiar spirit  and  excellence,  whether  raw  or  cooked.  In  general, 
the  lists  given  will  be  found  satisfactory,  but  attention  to  the  re- 
marks on  selection  of  kinds,  page  192,  will  be  always  important. 


330 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 


THE  APRICOT. 

The  Apricot  is  one  of  our  earliest  and  pleasantest  fruits  for 
eating  out  of  hand  ;  and  though,  from  its  blossoming  so  imme- 
diately upon  the  opening  of  spring,  it  is  exposed  very  often  to 
injury  or  entire  loss  by  spring  frosts,  as  well  as  to  the  attacks 
of  the  curculio  or  plum  bug  after  the  fruit  sets,  yet  it  merits 
cultivation,  and  will  repay  all  the  care  that  in  ordinary  seasons 
it  requires  to  carry  it  safely  through  the  period  in  which  it  is 
liable  to  be  injured.  To  make  this  easy,  the  trees  should  be 
kept  low  and  compact  by  proper  pruning  ;  and  if  there  be  dan- 
ger of  frost  upon  the  blossoms,  set  three  or  four  stakes  around 
each  tree,  and  throw  over  it  a  large  blanket  or  cloth  of  any 
kind,  leaving  it  on  in  the  morning  until  some  time  after  sun- 
rise. 

Fig.  193. 


a.  Small  Apricot 


&.  Medium  Apricot. 

The  period  of  blossoming  may  also  be  retarded  by  keeping 
the  tree  shaded  so  long  as  frosts  are  likely  to  occur ;  and  if, 
notwithstanding  this,  they  come  upon  the  blossoms,  the  pre- 
cautions above  mentioned  must  be  taken.  Branches  of  ever- 
green may  be  used  with  good  effect  both  in  shading  and  pro- 
tection. If  the  tree  is  trained  against  a  building  it  will  be 
still  more  easy  to  cover  it,  but  in  both  cases  be  careful  to  se- 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  331 

cure  the  covering  so  that  the  wind,  if  prevailing,  will  not  dash 
it  against  the  blossoms. 

Apricots  may  be  planted  at  the  distance  of  from  ten  to  fif- 
teen feet,  the  former  being  sufficient  if  the  trees  are  well 
pruned.  A  pretty  rich  warm  loam  suits  them  best.  They 
may  be  budded  on  seedling  apricots,  plums,  or  peaches.  Ei- 
ther of  the  two  former,  however,  are  to  be  preferred  to  the  lat- 
ter, and  of  them  those  of  free  growth.  Among  plums,  a  vari- 
ety of  stock  known  as  the  pear  plum  is  generally  preferred  for 
the  apricot. 

APRICOTS 

Numbered  nearly  in  the  order  of  their  ripening. 


1.  Large  Early. 

2.  Early  Golden. 

3.  Royal. 

4.  Hemskirke. 


5.  Breda. 

6.  Peach. 

7.  Moorpark. 

8.  Turkey. 


These  are  all  worthy  of  attention,  but  Nos.  1,  4,  6,  and  7 
are  of  superior  size  and  quality. 

THE  BERBERRY. 

The  Berberry  is  said  to  derive  its  name  from  the  Arabic, 
Fig.  194.  connecting  us  by  a  very  thorny  tie  to  the  Ber- 
bers of  Africa.  It  is  found  wild,  not  only  in 
Africa,  but  in  Europe,  Asia,  and  both  North 
and  South  America.  It  is  a  well-known  acid 
and  seedy  fruit,  sometimes  used  for  preserves, 
jellies,  tarts,  and  pickles,  but  too  sour  for  any 
thing  except  the  last  or  an  acid  gargle. 

It  makes   a  perfectly  impenetrable  hedge 
fence,  but  its  habit  of  spreading  by  offshoots 
renders  it  objectionable.     The  bark  and  wood 
make  a  fine  yellow  dye.     The  stamens  of  the 
common  red  kind  seem  to  possess  a  peculiar 
susceptibility,  so   that,  when    touched,  they 
spring  over  and  deposit  their  pollen  upon  the 
stigma  of  the  mature  flower.     Some  new  varieties  have  recent- 
ly been  obtained  from  India  and  the  Straits  of  Magellan. 
They  are  raised  from  seeds,  cuttings,  layers,  or  offshoots. 


332 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 


THE  BLACKBERRY. 
NEW   ROCHELLE. 

The  culture  of  blackberries  as  a  garden  fruit  is  of  quite  re- 
cent origin,  dating  from  the  discovery  made  a  few  years  since, 
in  the  neighborhood  of  New  Rochelle,  Westchester  county,  of 
a  fine-fruited  wild  variety,  which,  on  being  cultivated,  was 
found  to  yield  heavy  crops  of  large  and  well-flavored  fruit.  , 
This  variety,  known  as  the  "  New  Rochelle  blackberry,"  is 
the  only  kind  at  present  in  extended  cultivation,  but  probably 

will  not  long  remain  alone. 
It  is  a  strong,  upright 
grower,  and  when  planted, 
as  it  should  always  be,  in 
very  rich  soil,  it  spreads 
with  great  rapidity,  and 
its  suckers,  if  not  wanted 
for  plants,  should  be  care- 
fully and  persistently  de- 
stroyed as  they  appear. 
It  requires  treatment  pre- 
cisely similar  to  the  com- 
mon raspberry  (which  see), 
the  frame  with  the  sliding 
bar  being  peculiarly  de- 
sirable, on  account  of  its 
very  heavy  young  growth. 
Thorough  ripening  is  essential  to  the  perfection  of  the  fruit,  and 
in  this  respect  cultivators  are  liable  to  be  deceived  by  the  depth 
of  color  which  the  berry  attains  before  it  is  fit  to  gather. 

A  variety  called  the  "  White  Blackberry"  is  occasionally  met 
with  in  gardens.  Its  color  is  really  a  dirty  chocolate,  and  in 
respect  to  flavor  and  fruiting  it  is  worthless. 

Among  our  wild  fruits  which  have  as  yet  scarcely  begun  to 
be  regarded  as  subjects  for  cultivation,  there  are  some  that  will 
probably  soon  follow  the  blackberry  into  the  ranks  of  cultivated 
small  fruits,  as  the  Buffalo-berry  of  the  southwest,  Shepardia 
argentea,  and  the  black  and  blue  Huckleberries  or  Whortleber- 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  333 

ries,  Vaccinium  resinosum  and  tenettum,  and  the  red-flowering 
thornless  Kaspberry,  Rubus  odorata. 

THE  CHERRY. 

In  any  suitable  climate,  cherries  are  among  the  most  easily 
cultivated  of  our  large-growing  fruit-trees.  They  prefer  a 
rather  warm  temperature,  and  around  many  of  the  older  home- 
steads of  Virginia  have  grown  to  an  enormous  size.  Among 
the  numerous  fine  varieties  introduced  within  the  last  thirty  or 
fifty  years,  there  is,  in  their  several  classes,  but  little  difference 
that  would  strike  an  ordinary  observer,  except  in  the  time  of 
ripening,  and  even  this  is  obliterated  by  bringing  them  from 
the  opposite  limits  of  one  or  two  degrees  of  latitude,  which  can 
now  easily  be  done  in  time  to  place  them  on  the  dinner-table 
still  damp  with  the  morning  dew.  Hence,  in  our  markets, 
quite  a  number  of  different  kinds  are  known  by  a  common  name  ; 
and,  on  the  other  hand,  from  the  rapidity  of  their  recent  diffu- 
sion, a  multitude  of  synonyms  for  certain  choice  kinds  are  found 
among  nursery-men  and  amateurs. 

Most  kinds  have  an  upright  and  regular  habit  of  growth, 
which  permits  of  their  being  planted  much  closer  than  would 
otherwise  be  advantageous.  From  twenty  to  thirty  feet  will 
be  found  a  sufficient  distance,  unless  it  may  be  for  a  few  vari- 
eties of  spreading  habit,  or  in  localities  where  the  tree  attains  a 
very  large  size  ;  and,  for  the  same  reason,  but  little  pruning  is 
found  absolutely  necessary.  It  is  quite  desirable  to  form  the 
head  of  the  young  tree  well  at  the  start — see  remarks  page 
254 — and  it  is  often  important,  in  order  to  facilitate  the  fruit- 
gathering,  to  force  a  less  towering  growth  by  cutting  out  the 
strong  central  leader,  even  when  two  or  three  inches  diameter 
at  the  point  of  .severance ;  but  this  necessity  should  be  pre- 
vented by  earlier  attention  in  forming  the  head.  Notwith- 
standing all  that  may  be  written,  however,  a  fruit  that  grows 
so  rapidly,  and  yields  so  abundantly,  in  spite  of  neglect  in  its 
culture,  will  not  be  likely  to  command  much  care  or  labor. 

Of  the  sour  varieties,  which  are  chiefly  used  for  tarts  and 
preserving  or  drying,  the  old-fashionecT  or  Richmond  sour,  and 
some  of  the  older  varieties  of  the  Morello,  are  generally  decay- 


334  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

ing,  and  in  many  localities  are  as  much  injured  by  the  black 
knot  as  the  plum-tree.  The  plum-stone  Morello  is  a  fine  late 
sour  variety,  and  others  will  be  found  in  the  list  below. 

The  cherry  prefers  a  deep,  strong  loam,  but  will  thrive  in  al- 
most any  soil,  if  the  climate  be  favorable.  In  cold  localities, 
extreme  thriftiness  in  the  trees  exposes  them  to  the  risk  of 
winter-killing  or  bursting.  See  p.  260.  There  are  extensive 
valleys  but  little  north  of  New  York  city,  along  which  for 
many  miles  the  finer  varieties  of  cherry-trees  perish  at  irregu- 
lar intervals  from  the  severity  of  the  cold.  In  such  localities, 
or  in  all  more  northern  latitudes,  high  manuring  must  be  avoid- 
ed, and  the  trees  set  in  positions  exposed  to  the  north  or  north- 
west, and  defended  from  the  winter's  southern  sun.  They  may 
bear  the  steady  cold  of  a  severe  winter,  but  sudden  and  great 
fluctuations  will  almost  certainly  destroy  them. 

SELECT   LIST   OF   CHERRIES, 

Numbered  in  each  class  nearly  in  the  order  in  which  they 
will  be  found  to  ripen  in  any  given  soil  and  latitude.  The 
time  of  their  ripening  at  New  York  accompanies  the  figure 
and  description  below. 


SWEET  FRUITS. 


1.  Purple  Guigne  (Gween). 

2.  Mayduke. 

3.  Elton. 

4.  Knight's  Early  Black. 

5.  Black  Heart. 

6.  Black  Tartarian. 


7.  Holland  Bigarreau. 

8.  Graffion. 

9.  Black  Eagle. 

10.  Downton. 

11.  Downer's  Late. 

12.  Florence. 


SOUR,  OR   PIE   AND   PRESERVE   FRUITS. 


13.  Early  Richmond. 

14.  Carnation. 


15.  Plum-stone  Morello. 

16.  Rumsey's  Morello. 


1.   PURPLE  GUIGNE   (Fig.  196). 

Purple  Griotte.     German  Mayduke. 
Tree  of  moderate  growth,  and  spreading. 
Fruit  rather  small,  but  very  early ;  dark  red,  purple  when 
dead  ripe. 

Flesh  tender,  juicy,  and  sweet.     Ripens  last  of  May. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


335 


2.  MAYDUKE  (Fig.  197). 

Early  Duke. 

Tree  of  upright  growth  ;  young  shoots  slender. 
Fruit  medium  size  ;  bright  red,  becoming  dark  red  at  matu- 
rity.    A  fine  acid  fruit  for  pies  while  still  unripe,  but  of  a  rich 
subacid  flavor  when  fully  matured. 

Ripening  last  of  May  and  first  half  of  June ;  often  having 
green  fruit  upon  certain  branches  when  the  main  crop  has  ma- 
tured. 

Fig.  196.  Fig.  197.  Fig.  198. 


Purple  Guigne. 


Mayduke. 


Elton. 


•    3.  ELTON  (Fig.  198). 

Tree  vigorous,  spreading. 

Fruit  pretty  large,  slightly  pointed ;  pale  yellow,  with  a 
bright  red,  mottled  cheek. 

Flesh  rather  firm,  but  juicy,  rich,  and  excellent. 

Ripens  about  the  middle  of  June,  immediately  after  the 
Mayduke. 


336 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


4.  KNIGHT'S  EARLY  BLACK  (Fig.  199). 
Tree  of  moderate  vigor,  spreading. 
Fruit  rather  large,  irregular,  dark  purple. 
Flesh  purple,  tender,  juicy,  and  fine-flavored. 
Ripens  about  the  middle  of  June. 

5.    BLACK   HEART   (Fig.  200). 

Early  Black.     Black  Russian. 
Tree  vigorous,  erect. 

Fruit  of  medium  size,  uneven  in  outline  ;  dark  purple. 
Flesh  purple,  tender,  juicy,  and  sweet. 
Ripens  from  the  middle  to  the  last  of  June. 

Fig.  199.  Fig.  200.  Fig.  201. 


Knight's  Early  Black. 


Black  Heart. 


Black  Tartarian. 


6.    BLACK  TARTARIAN   (Fig.  201). 

Dyckmatfs.     Bishop's  Large.     RonaWs  Black  Heart. 
Tree  e^ftremely  vigorous,  erect. 

Fruit  very  large,  irregular,  almost  oblong ;  nearly  black. 
Flesh  purplish,  tolerably  tender,  juicy,  rich,  and  delicious. 
Ripens  from  the  middle  to  the  last  of  June. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


337 


7.    HOLLAND   BIGARREAU   (Fig.  202). 

Armstrong's  Bigarreau.     Spotted  Bigarreau. 
Tree  of  strong  and  spreading  growth. 
Fruit  large,  regular ;  pale  yellow,  shaded  and  spotted  with 
bright  red  on  the  sunny  side. 
Flesh  firm,  juicy,  and  excellent. 
Ripens  toward  the  last  of  June. 

Fig.  202.  Fig.  203. 


Holland  Bigarreau. 


Graffion. 


••     8.  GRAFFION  (Fig.  203). 
Bigarreau.     White  Bigarreau.     Yellow  Spanish. 
Tree  of  vigorous  but  diverging  growth,  forming  a  fine  spread- 
ing head. 

Fruit  large ;  pale  yellow  or  amber,  with  clear  red  on  the 
sunny  side. 

Flesh  light  yellow,  very  firm,  but  of  fine,  rich  flavor  when 
ripe. 

Ripens  about  the  last  of  June. 

P 


338 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


9.  BLACK  EAGLE  (Fig.  204). 

Tree  vigorous,  spreading  ;  young  shoots  quite  stout. 
Fruit  medium  or  above  ;  deep  purple  or  black. 
Flesh  purple,  tender,  juicy,  and  rich. 
Ripens  beginning  of  July. 

10.  DOWNTON  (Fig.  205). 
Tree  of  moderate  growth,  making  a  round  head. 
Fruit  large,  roundish,  regular;   creamy,  and  very  clear; 
stained  and  dotted  with  red  on  the  sunny  side. 
Flesh  light  yellow,  tender,  fine,  and  rich. 
Ripens  early  in  July. 


Fig.  204. 


Fig.  205. 


Fig.  206. 


Black  Eagle. 


Downton. 


Downer's  Late. 


11.  DOWNER'S  LATE  (Fig.  206). 
Tree  of  moderate  vigor,  somewhat  spreading. 
Fruit  medium  or  below ;  light  clear  red,  veined  with  amber. 
Flesh  tender,  sweet,  and  excellent.     Ripens  early  in  July. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 


339 


12.  FLORENCE  (Fig.  207). 
Knevefs  Late  Bigarreau.     DycJcman's  Late. 
Tree  of  strong  growth  and  fine  spreading  habit. 
Fruit  large,  roundish,  slightly  inclining  to  reniform  ;  amber- 
yellow,  marbled  with  red,  and  the  fully-exposed  fruit  becom- 
ing flushed  with  red  on  the  sunny  side. 

Flesh  yellowish,  very  firm,  but  juicy,  sweet,  and  superior. 
Kipens  about  the  middle  of  July. 


Fig.  207. 


Fig.  208. 


Florence.  Early  Bichmond. 

SOUR  CHERRIES,  PIE  AND  PRESERVE  FRUITS. 
13.    EARLY   RICHMOND  (Fig.  208). 

Virginian  May.     Kentish. 

Tree  of  low  habit,  with  regular  spreading  head ;  young 
growth  slender. 

Fruit  medium  or  below,  round ;  bright  red,  becoming  rather 
dark  at  maturity. 

Flesh  tender,  melting,  juicy,  and  of  a  fine  acid  flavor :  first- 
rate  for  culinary  purposes. 

Ripens  in  all  June. 


340 


AMERICAN  HOME   GARDEN. 


14.    CARNATION  (Fig.  209). 

Wax  Cherry. 

Tree  of  strong  growth  and  spreading  habit. 
Fruit  large,  round  ;  clear  light  red. 

Flesh  pretty  firm,  juicy,  and  acid,  becoming  almost  subacid 
at  maturity. 

Ripens  from  the  middle  to  the  end  of  July. 

15.    PLUM-STONE  MORELLO  (Fig.  210). 

Tree  thrifty,  spreading  ;  young  shoots  slender. 
Fruit  rather  large,  roundish,  heart-shaped  ;  deep  red. 
Flesh  reddish,  tender,  and  juicy  ;  of  a  fine  acid  flavor. 
Ripens  last  of  July. 

Fig.  209.  Fig.  210.  Fig.  211. 


Carnation. 


Plum-stone  Morello. 


Ramsey's  Morello. 


16.  RUMSEY'S  MORELLO  (Fig.  211). 
Tree  of  slender  and  slow  growth,  and  spreading  habit. 
Fruit  above  medium,  having  a  suture  on  one  side ;  smooth 
and  regular  ;  color  a  clear  bright  red. 

Flesh  tender,  juicy,  and  melting,  but  quite  acid. 
Ripens  in  August,  and  later. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  341 

THE  CRANBERRY. 

Cranberries  may  be  raised  on  any  moist  land  by  covering 
rig.  212.  the  space  to  be  planted  with 

a  thick  coat  of  swamp  muck, 
and  setting  the  plants  in  it  at 
afoot  or  eighteen  inches  apart, 
according  to  their  strength. 
Keep  them  perfectly  clean  un- 
til they  obtain  possession ; 
they  will  then  take  care  of 
themselves,  keeping  out  all 
other  growth,  and  yielding 
their  fruit  abundantly,  which 
is  usually  gathered  with  a  pe- 
culiar box-rake,  known  as  the 
cranberry-rake.  Top-dressing 
with  well-rotted  compost  after 
the  crop  is  gathered  improves 
both  the  quantity  and  quality  of  succeeding  crops.  It  is  said 
that  they  can  also  be  well  raised  on  dry  soils,  but  probably 
would  require  increased  labor,  with  smaller  return  for  it,  their 
natural  home  being  moist  bog  meadows. 

CURRANTS. 

Of  varieties  there  are  the  Black  Naples,  the  Red  and  the 
White  Dutch,  or  common,  and  certain  other  inferior  varieties 
or  mixtures  of  these,  and  still  others  larger  fruiting  and  later, 
but  more  acid  and  less  worthy  of  cultivation.  The  recently- 
introduced  cherry  currant  is  produced  somewhat  after  the  man- 
ner of  the  Black  Naples,  bearing  its  large  fruit  upon  short 
bunches ;  the  seeds  are  rather  large,  and  the  quality  of  the 
fruit  only  fair,  but  it  is  a  showy,  and,  on  the  whole,  a  desirable 
variety. 

Though  one  of  the  most  valuable  of  our  small  summer  fruits, 
if  not,  indeed,  more  useful  than  any  other,  currants  are  scarce- 
ly subjects  of  cultivation  ;  for  this  implies  more  than  merely 
planting  in  a  corner  or  by  a  fence,  and  gathering  the  product 


342 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


when  it  comes.  Yet  they  will  well  repay  by  the  abundance, 
and  excellence,  and  beauty  of  their  fruit,  the  little  labor  their 
cultivation  requires. 


Fig.  213. 


a.  Black  Naples. 


b.  Red  Dutch. 

They  may  be  set  out  at  four  or  five 
feet  apart,  and  either  kept  to  a  single 
stem,  or  to  two  or  three.  Satisfactory 
results  will  be  obtained  if  the  bushes  are 
kept  clear  of  grass  and  weeds,  the  off- 
shoots from  the  collar  of  the  root  sup- 
pressed, the  head  of  the  bush  kept  rath- 
er open  than  otherwise  by  thinning  out 
any  excess  of  bearing  shoots,  and  com- 
pact in  form  by  shortening  the  young 
wood,  according  to  its  strength,  to  from 
one  half  to  one  third  of  its  last  year's 
growth  in  the  winter  pruning  as  direct- 
ed for  gooseberries,  p.  346. 
Currants  may  be  planted  in  almost  any  soil  or  situation,  and 


c.  White  Dutch. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  343 

are  as  easily  raised  as  willows,  from  layers,  or  cuttings  planted 
in  the  fall  or  early  spring.  There  are  many  sub- varieties,  with 
considerable  differences  in  the  quality  and  pleasantness  of  their 
acid,  and  it  is  worthy  of  care  that  your  young  plants  be  raised 
from  such  as  are  most  agreeable  to  your  taste. 

The  season  of  this  fruit  may  be  prolonged  by  planting  some 
in  warm  spots,  or  light  soil,  and  others  in  the  shade,  or  on  a 
north  slope,  or  in  cold  soil,  or  by  covering  single  bushes  with 
mats  closely  wrapped  and  fastened  around  them  before  they 
are  quite  half  ripe,  uncovering  them  to  the  sun  a  few  days  be- 
fore they  are  to  be  gathered  for  use,  to  sweeten  them,  as  cur- 
rants ripened  in  the  shade  are  somewhat  acid,  though  by  no 
means  so  sour  as  when  left  to  become  over-ripened  upon  leafless 
branches  in  the  sun. 

The  Black  Naples  currant  makes  a  conserve  or  jelly  that  is 
very  useful  in  domestic  practice  for  removing  soreness  of  the 
throat,  for  preparing  a  cooling  drink  in  fever  by  stirring  it  into 
water,  or  for  the  easy  administration  of  medicines  to  children. 
The  red  and  white,  either  separately  or  mixed,  stripped  and 
sugared,  are  an  ornament  and  a  delicacy  upon  the  tea-table ; 
and  the  perfectly  free  use  of  the  ripe,  fresh-gathered  fruit  in 
this  form,  or  directly  from  the  bushes,  is,  in  general,  a  com- 
plete preventive  of  summer  complaint  and  tendency  to  dysen- 
tery in  children  or  adults. 

THE  FIG. 

Wherever  the  climate  favors  their  production,  figs  are  among 
the  most  easily  cultivated  of  fruits,  the  natural  growth  of  the 
tree  being  such  as  to  render  pruning  almost  entirely  unnec- 
essary, and  one  or  two  crops  a  year  being  yielded  with  cer- 
tainty. In  latitudes  north  of  40°  they  require  protection,  but 
in  warm  situations,  in  cities,  against  a  wall,  or  in  a  recess  by 
a  house  or  other  building,  or  even  in  some  open  situations,  a 
pretty  thick  coating  with  straw  and  matting,  or  laying  down 
the  whole  tree  and  banking  earth  over  it,  will  be  found  to 
answer  this  purpose,  and  one  small  crop  per  year  can  be  ob- 
tained. 

The  ripe,  undried  fruit,  however,  is  very  luscious,  with  a 


344 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 


little  faintness  of  flavor, 
which  renders  it  less  de- 
sirable than  it  might 
otherwise  be,  so  that  its 
culture,  where  it  can  not 
be  profitably  dried  for 
market,  is  a  matter  of 
mere  fancy,  except  for 
persons  of  peculiar  taste. 
Unlike  other  fruits,  the 
fig  is  not  produced  from 
any  apparent  blossom, 
but  is  borne,  generally 
singly,  upon  the  young 
branches,  the  flower  be- 
ing included  in  and  form- 
ing part  of  the  fruit. 
The  filaments  which  constitute  the  flower,  or,  more  properly, 
the  floral  organs,  are  readily  seen  in  the  fresh-gathered  fruit, 
and  sometimes  also  in  the  thick-skinned,  imperfectly-ripened, 
dried  figs  of  commerce. 

It  is  said  that  in  certain  districts  of  France  the  fruit  is 
sometimes  anointed  in  the  eye  with  sweet  oil,  when  near  ma- 
turity, to  secure  its  ripening,  and  Downing  seems  to  think  the 
operation  effective  to  this  end ;  but  in  the  absence  of  any  ap- 
parent connection,  we  doubt  if  they  are  cause  and  effect.  Where 
practiced,  it  is  probably  an  old  custom,  of  which  the  origin  has 
been  forgotten  and  a  new  account  of  it  invented. 

The  fig-tree  is  easily  raised  from  offshoots,  layers,  or  cut- 
tings, and  will  grow  in  almost  any  soil.  The  choicer  varieties 
are  the  Brunswick,  or  Black  Naples ;  the  Brown  Turkey,  or 
Naples ;  the  Black  Ischia,  the  Black  Genoa,  the  Malta,  the 
White  Marseilles,  the  Nerii,  and  the  White  Ischia. 

The  Egyptian  fig,  or  sycamore  fruit  of  the  Bible,  sometimes 
also  called  "  Pharaoh's  Fig,"  and,  from  its  leaf,  "  Mulberry 
Fig,"  is  not,  in  strictness,  a  fruit,  but  a  seedless  excrescence 
whichv  forms  upon  the  trunk  and  large  limbs  of  a  wild  lowland 
tree  of  the  East.  It  is  either  thrown  out  naturally  by  the  tree, 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


345 


or  produced  by  the  action  of  insects,  or  by  wounding  the  bark 
for  the  purpose.  It  resembles  a  fig,  but  is  of  extreme  bitter- 
ness until  opened  by  the  nail  or  some  sharp  instrument,  so  that 
a  portion  of  its  milky  juice  exudes,  when  it  ripens  and  becomes 
of  a  dull  sweet,  but  luscious  and  not  very  wholesome.  The 
tree  yields  it  abundantly  and  constantly,  in  Jewish  parlance 
"  bearing  seven  times  a  year."  This  excoriation  of  the  bark 
and  opening  of  the  "  fruit"  seems  to  have  been  the  employ- 
ment of  the  prophet  (Amos,  vii.,  14),  who  was  a  gatherer,  or, 
rather,  a  "  dresser"  or  "  scraper"  of  sycamore  fruit. 

THE  GOOSEBERRY. 

Fig.  215. 


a.  Crown  Bob. 


6.  Whitesmith. 


c.  Hough  ton' a  Seedling. 


P2 


Almost  every  variety 
of  gooseberry  cultivated 
among  us  is  of  European 
origin,  and  generally,  in 
our  climate,  subject  to  a 
mould  or  mildew  upon 
the  fruit,  that  destroys 
the  crop.  It  is  true,  this 
may  be  measurably,  and 
in  some  seasons  entirely 
avoided  by  careful  win- 
ter pruning,  moderate 
shade  by  planting  them 


346  AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 

near  grape-vines  or  peach-trees,  &c.,  and  high  manuring  with 
compost  from  year  to  year,  and  sowing  lime,  sulphur,  or  ashes 
over  them  repeatedly  when  in  blossom  and  young  fruit ;  but  it 
is  scarcely  probable  that  the  cultivation  of  gooseberries  can  be- 
come general  among  us,  unless,  either  from  those  now  in  repu- 
tation or  from  some  of  our  own  wild  ones,  new  seedling  varie- 
ties, exempt  from  the  disease,  may  be  produced.  The  English 
have  a  fancy  for  raising  them  of  monstrous  size  for  exhibition, 
leaving  on  the  bush  only  a  few  berries,  and  supporting  these 
so  that  they  do  not  hang,  but  rest  and  fatten.  The  berry,  when 
ripe,  is  of  a  very  mild,  yet  lively  and  pleasant  acid,  or  rather 
vinous  flavor,  the  very  large  kinds  never  being  in  this  respect 
equal  to  the  smaller.  While  green,  they  are  used  for  tarts, 
&c.,  having  a  very  strong,  rough  acid,  a  part  of  which  'should 
be  leached  off  by  scalding  the  fruit  before  it  is  used,  and  pour- 
ing off  the  water  when  cooled.  But  for  these  purposes  the  pie- 
plant affords  a  better  acid,  and  is  much  more  easily  raised  and 
handled. 

Gooseberry  bushes  should  stand  in  rows  from  four  to  six  feet 
apart  each  way,  and  be  kept  on  one  stem,  with  but  few  bearing 
snoots,  and  all  offshoots  suppressed.  Every  winter,  with  a  light 
pair  of  pruning  shears,  shorten  the  last  season's  shoots,  cutting 
the  strong  ones  to  about  half  their  length,  those  of  medium 
growth  to  about  one  fourth,  and  those  that  are  weak  close  to 
the  point  from  which  they  started  ;  and  keep  the  bushes  regu- 
larly and  thoroughly  manured.  The  plants  are  readily  raised 
from  layers  or  cuttings.  See  pages  197  and  198. 

The  kinds  named  in  the  nursery  catalogues  are  very  numer- 
ous, but  among  the  red  hairy  varieties,  that  known  as  "  Crown 
Bob"  bears  the  highest  character,  and  "  Whitesmith"  among 
the  smooth-skinned  green  or  yellow  kinds.  Houghton's  Seed- 
ling is  the  only  American  variety  of  reputation,  and  is  exempt 
from  mildew. 

Rough  or  hairy  gooseberries  are  more  uniformly  well  flavored 
than  the  smooth  varieties,  and  I  incline  to  think  the  red  ones 
generally  better  than  the  green  or  yellow,  yet  the  finest  flavored 
known  variety  is  a  grass-green  hairy  berry,  so  small  as  to  be 
profitless. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 


347 


THE  GRAPE. 

Of  native  grapes,  the  Isabella  (Fig.  216  a),  Catawba,  Diana, 
Concord,  Rebecca,  and  a  few  others,  succeed  well  near  New 
York,  and  some  of  them  far  to  the  north  of  it.  The  Bland, 
Elsinburgh,  and  Ohio,  or  Cigar-box,  and  several  others  of  merit, 
require  a  more  southern  latitude. 

Of  foreign  grapes,  the  red  Muscat  and  white  Muscat  of 
Alexandria  (Fig.  216  6),  for  heated  graperies,  and  the  black 
Hamburg  and  white  Muscadine  for  house  culture,  either  with 
or  without  fire-heat,  will  be  found  valuable. 

Fig.  216. 


a.  Isabella  Grape. 


6.  White  Muscat  of  Alexandria. 


The  grape,  like  the  cherry  and  currant,  often  yields  its  fruit 
so  abundantly,  in  spite  of  neglect,  that  in  multiplied  instances  it 
is  not  in  any  sense  cultivated  ;  it  simply  grows.  When  plant- 
ed merely  with  a  view  to  shade  or  ornament,  this  is  well,  but 
the  culture  of  the  grape  is  usually  entered  upon  in  expectation 
of  a  profitable  return,  or,  at  least,  of  combining  this  with  other 
gratifications. 

European  grapes  are  almost  entirely  excluded  from  our  con- 
sideration by  their  uniform  failure  in  out-door  culture  in  our 
climate,  and  their  exposure  to  mildew  and  failure,  even  in  house 
culture,  unless  incessant  care  and  labor  are  bestowed  upon  them. 


348  AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 

Our  choice  of  kinds  is  therefore  very  limited,  and  any  one  may 
easily  obtain  and  test  for  himself,  at  small  expense,  all  the  va- 
rieties that  at  present  pretend  to  claim  attention.  Most  of  our 
varieties  are  of  wild  natural  origin,  some  of  which,  nevertheless, 
compare  favorably  with  many  of  the  cultivated  European  kinds. 
Starting  in  the  culture  of  this  fruit  with  such  originals,  we  may 
fairly  expect  that  intelligent  and  persevering  cultivation,  to 
the  force  of  which  no  plant  yields  itself  more  readily,  will  rap- 
idly supply  new  and  superior  varieties  suited  to  our  varied  cli- 
mate, and  surpassing  rivalry. 

The  grape  will  do  well  in  almost  any  soil.  It  grows  wild 
alike  upon  our  dryest  lands  and  in  our  swamps,  from  the  Pe- 
nobscot  to  the  Rio  Grande.  For  its  most  successful  cultivation, 
however,  a  deep,  dry,  limestone  soil  or  sandy  loam  is  desirable. 

Wild  vines  or  worthless  ones  may  be  successfully  cleft  graft- 
ed, after  the  vines  have  leaved  out,  with  grafts  kept  for  the 
purpose  from  the  winter  pruning ;  these  should  be  buried  or 
cellared  until  wanted  for  use.  Cut  off  the  stock  and  insert 
the  graft  a  few  inches  under  ground  ;  if  possible,  wrap  it  in  the 
ordinary  manner,  earth  it  well  up,  and  set  a  stake  to  it. 

The  young  plants  may  be  raised  by  cuttings,  as  directed 
pages  196,  197,  or  by  layers.  If  the  shoots  of  the  previous 
year  are  layered  early  in  the  spring,  they  may  -be  set  out  the 
next  year,  but  if  shoots  of  the  current  season  be  layered  in  June 
or  July,  they  should  be  severed  from  the  parent  vine  and  cut 
back  in  fall  or  the  next  spring,  but  ought  not  to  be  removed 
for  setting  out  until  the  following  year,  their  roots  being  too 
tender. 

Two-year-old  plants  raised  from  cuttings,  or  layers  raised  as 
above  directed,  just  taken  from  the  parent  vine,  and  cut  back 
to  one  or  two  buds,  may  be  set  out  in  the  ordinary  mode  of 
tree-planting — see  page  245 — in  large  holes  with  loosened  bot- 
tom, dug  at  least  eighteen  inches  deep,  and  filled  up  with  good 
rich  mould  to  twelve  or  fifteen  inches,  according  to  the  size  of 
the  root.  Let  rich  earth  or  perfectly  rotted  compost  be  mixed 
with  the  soil,  or  used  exclusively  in  filling  up.  Tread  the  earth 
lightly  upon  and  around  the  roots,  and  suffer  only  one  or  at  most 
two  buds  to  start.  In  removing  old  vines,  cut  them  clean  down 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 


349 


before  replanting ;  they  will  recover  vigor  much  sooner  than 
if  you  leave  the  old  growth  upon  them. 

The  vine  is  a  greedy  feeder,  and  its  absorbents  act  with 
great  rapidity,  so  that  in  vine  regions  over-manuring  is  found 
to  weaken  the  juice  and  spoil  the  character  of  the  wine,  and  is 
sometimes  forbidden  by  law  on  this  account.  An  inopportune 
application  of  foul  manure  is  also  apt  to  taint  the  fruit.  Good 
compost,  having  in  it  a  mixture  of  bones,  charcoal,  and  animal 
matter,  applied  at  the  planting  of  the  vines,  and  annually  dug 
in  around  them,  with  summer  top-dressings  of  leached  or  un- 
leached  ashes,  guano,  or  bone-dust,  and  attention  to  keeping 
them  free  from  weeds,  with  occasional  additions  of  fresh  sur- 
face earth,  which  may  be  half-rotted  sod  pared  thick  from  a 
loamy  road  side  and  chopped  up,  or  any  good  surface  loam,  will 
ordinarily  insure  healthy  vines  and  heavy  crops. 

Vines  are  arranged  for  cultivation  upon  arbors,  trellises,  or 
stakes,  and  may  be  treated  either  upon  the  "  spur"  or  "  alter- 
nating" system,  though  in  general  cultivators  do  not  rigidly 
adhere  to  either,  but  pursue  a  mixed  course,  according  to  in- 
dividual fancy  or  knowledge,  and  the  particular  state  of  the 
vines  from  year  to  year.  Their  training  may  either  be  up- 
right or  horizontal,  but,  if  otherwise  suitable,  the  latter  is  to 
be  preferred ;  or  any  fancy  winding,  ornamental  fashion  may 
be  adopted  with  advantage. 


ARBOR. 


Fig.  217. 


The  vine  as  it  appears  in  the  spring 
before  it  starts,  upon  the  spur  sys- 
tem. 

a.  The  permanent  main  canes,  with 
their  spurs,  and  the  buds  from  which 
the  fruit  for  the  season  is  expected  to 
proceed. 


Whether  for  arbor  or  trellis  culture,  the  vines  may  be  set 
from  ten  to  twenty  feet  apart,  at  discretion. 


350 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 


SPUR   SYSTEM. 

In  the  spur  system  one  or  more  shoots  are  permitted  to  ex- 
tend themselves  gradually  from  each  plant,  being  cut  back  at 
the  first  winter  pruning  after  the  setting  out  to  three  or  four 
buds,  at  the  second  to  six  or  eight,  or  more,  increasing  the 
length  of  these  main  canes  from  year  to  year,  according  to  their 
strength,  permitting  only  a  limited  quantity  of  fruit  to  be 
borne  upon  the  spurs  or  side  shoots  from  them  until  these  main 
ones  have  attained  the  length  at  which  it  is  intended  perma- 
nently to  keep  them  (see  Fig.  217).  After  this,  all  the  spurs 
or  side  shoots  are  annually  cut  off  at  the  winter  pruning  to 
within  a  single  bud,  or  close  to  the  old  stem  or  main  cane 
from  which  they  issue.  Each  joint  upon  these  main  stems  or 
canes  becomes  by  the  annual  repetition  of  this  process  a  bunch 
of  undeveloped  buds,  from  which  young  shoots  are  annually 
put  forth,  upon  which  the  season's  crop  of  fruit  is  borne. 
These  are  kept  in  check  during  summer  by  nipping,  and  re- 
moved entirely  at  the  winter  pruning,  as  described  below. 

The  main  canes  of  the  vine  in  the  figure  are  trained  upright, 
but  they  may  also  be  trained  horizontally  by  carrying  the  main 
stem  originally  to  the  top  of  the  arbor,  and  forming  the  main 
canes  from  its  side  buds,  or  the  mode  may  be  subsequently 
changed  by  cutting  away  all  but  one  or  two  of  the  main  canes, 
making  them  stems,  and  furnishing  the  horizontal  canes  from 
their  spur  buds. 


TRELLIS. 


Fig.  218. 


The  vine  upon  the  trellis,  winter  pruned 
and  arranged  upon  the  alternating  system  ; 
as  it  appears  before  it  starts  in  the  spring. 

a,  a,  a,  a,  a.  Five  canes  cut  back,  leaving 
a  single  bud  on  each,  close  to  the  main  stem, 
to  form  the  growth-canes  of  the  current  sea- 
son and  the  fruit  canes  of  the  next. 

&,  &,  b,  b.  Four  canes  shortened  to  the  di- 
mensions of  the  trellis  to  bear  the  current 
season's  crop  of  fruit,  and  be  cut  back  in  the 
manner  of  a  at  the  coming  winter  priming, 
and  form  next  year's  growth-canes. 


The  trellis  is  the  arbor  sides  without  its  arch,  a  simple  up- 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


351 


right  frame  of  posts  with  bars  or  slats,  these  latter  running 
lengthwise,  at  about  a  foot  apart.  Its  general  direction  should, 
if  convenient,  be  north  and  south. 


Fig.  219. 


STAKES. 


The  vine  upon  stakes  as  seen  in  spring  before  starting ;  on 
the  alternating  system. 

a,  a.  Two  canes  cut  back  for  growth. 

6.  A  young  bud  near  the  main  stem  to  form  a  third  cane 
for  next  season. 

c,  c.  Young  canes  shortened  for  the  season's  crop,  to  be  cut 
out  in  the  next  winter' s  pruning. 


Foreign  grape-vines,  with  short  joints  and  comparatively 
moderate  growth,  may  be  cultivated,  where  other  circumstances 
favor,  upon  a  single  stake,  by  either  system  of  pruning ;  but 
the  extraordinary  vigor  of  American  grape-vines  renders  three 
stakes  expedient,  if  not  absolutely  necessary ;  these  form  really 
a  small  trellis,  and  this  may  be  adopted  as  a  preliminary  mode 
for  vines  which  are  intended  to  form  permanent  trellises  or 
arbors,  or  other  stakes  may  be  added  as  the  extending  growth 
of  the  canes  may  demand. 

ALTERNATING   SYSTEM. 

This  system,  which  is  quite  superior  to  the  former,  consists 
in  allowing  only  a  limited  number  of  young  canes  to  grow  in 
each  year,  proportioning  them,  both  in  number  and  length,  to 
the  strength  and  support  of  the  vine  root,  and  cutting  out  at 
every  winter  pruning  all  canes  that  have  previously  borne 
fruit.  Thus,  if  the  plant  has  two  canes,  each  of  which  in  the 
winter  pruning  you  have  shortened  to  four  feet,  then  you  will 
permit  only  two  new  ones  to  grow  the  current  season  (Fig.  219). 
To  these  four  canes,  two  bearing  and  two  growing,  the  usual 
care  is  to  be  given  through  the  summer  and  fall,  as  hereafter 
directed.  In  the  winter  pruning  the  two  bearing  canes  are 
cut  entirely  out  to  a  single  bud,  and  you  have  again  two  shoots 


352  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

for  the  next  season's  fruit,  Fig.  219  c,  c,  and  two  buds  to  form 
growth,  Fig.  219  a,  a.  If  your  vine  has  strengthened  suffi- 
ciently, the  bearing  canes  may  be  left  six  feet  long  or  more, 
and  a  third  growth-cane  be  provided  for  from  a  strong  bud 
near  or  on  the  main  stem,  Fig.  219  b. 

This  simple  process,  by  which  the  finest  fruit  is  uniformly 
produced,  goes  on  from  year  to  year  without  change,  except 
that,  as  the  root  of  your  vine  increases  in  strength,  you  either 
increase  the  number  of  the  shoots  you  permit  to  grow,  or  add 
to  their  length,  or  both. 

The  only  rule  in  the  case  is  to  proportion  the  fruit  canes 
you  leave  to  the  capacity  of  the  root,  in  view  of  its  strength, 
and  the  extent  and  richness  of  the  space  from  which  its  sup- 
plies are  to  be  drawn,  taking  care  to  have  at  least  an  equal 
number  of  growth-canes  in  preparation  to  succeed  them  in 
bearing  fruit  the  following  year. 

In  many  old  vineyards  of  France  and  Germany  the  vines  are 
planted  but  from  four  to  eight  feet  apart,  and  are  never  suffer- 
ed to  grow  more  than  a  few  feet  high,  while  in  other  circum- 
stances a  single  vine  may  cover  a  vast  area,  and  bear  annually 
hundreds  of  pounds  of  fruit.  In  general,  it  will  be  found  bet- 
ter, if  otherwise  suitable,  to  limit  the  number  of  bearing  canes 
and  increase  their  length,  not  only  on  account  of  the  easier 
tending  and  beauty  of  display  which  it  permits,  but  also  be- 
cause the  finer  fruit  is  commonly  produced  from  canes  of  supe- 
rior strength. 

SUMMER  PRUNING. 

The  summer  pruning  of  the  grape-vine  should  be  begun  at 
the  first  appearance  of  the  young  leaf,  all  the  pushing  buds 
that  are  not  wanted  being  carefully  broken  off,  permitting  only 
a  single  shoot  to  grow  from  each  joint.  Just  before  the  blos- 
soms open,  remove  all  bunches  that  are  small  and  weak,  or  in 
excess,  proportioning  in  the  process  the  probable  quantity  of 
fruit  to  the  strength  of  the  particular  cane  on  which  it  is  to 
be  borne,  and  the  total  quantity  to  the  strength  of  the  vine. 
Suppress  all  weak,  or  irregular,  or  superfluous  after-growth, 
whether  from  the  stem  or  main  canes  of  the  vine,  limiting  ab- 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  353 

solutely  the  number  and  direction  of  the  shoots  permitted  to 
grow  to  the  pattern  you  propose  to  follow,  and  whether  on  ar- 
bors, trellises,  or  stakes,  confine  each  vine  definitely  to  a  given 
space,  and  do  not  suffer  it  to  run  beyond  it,  but  persistently 
stop  it  at  its  boundary-line  by  nipping. 

These  things  being  done,  the  summer  pruning  of  vines  cul- 
tivated upon  the  spur  system,  in  which  there  is  but  one  class 
of  growth,  Fig.  217,  becomes  perfectly  simple.  The  whole 
proper  young  growth  of  the  season  must  be  shortened  by  nip- 
ping each  shoot  at  from  three  to  five  joints  beyond  the  outer- 
most bunch  of  fruit  upon  it,  thus  checking  growth,  yet  leaving 
sufficient  foliage  to  fully  elaborate  the  sap  and  preserve  health 
in  the  vine  and  fruit. 

In  the  alternating  system  of  cultivation  there  are  two  classes 
of  growth  to  be  cared  for,  the  bearing  and  non-bearing ;  the 
bearing  canes,  Fig.  218  b,  b,  should  be  treated  precisely  as  just 
described  for  the  spur  system ;  checking  the  young  growth  of 
the  season  by  careful  but  not  excessive  shortening,  in  order  to 
force  the  energies  of  the  vine  plant  into  the  direction  of  fruit- 
age instead  of  mere  growth. 

The  non-bearing  or  growth-canes,  starting  from  the  buds 
a,  a,  a,  a,  Fig.  218,  must  be  laid  carefully  to  their  course  and 
tied  securely.  All  side  shoots  thrown  out  from  them  must  be 
nipped,  not  close  to  the  joint  from  which  they  proceed,  as  this 
would  be  likely  to  force  growth  from  the  main  bud  of  that 
joint,  which  lies  dormant  at  the  base  of  the  side  shoot,  and 
upon  the  quiescence  and  strength  of  which  your  next  year's 
fruit  depends,  but  nip  them  while  quite  tender  at  one  or  two 
joints'  distance  from  the  main  shoot,  leaving  them  as  spurs 
upon  it ;  and  when  a  second  growth  is  put  forth  from  the  ex- 
treme bud  left,  nip  this  again  as  often  as  may  be  needful ;  and 
just  as  the  shortening  of  the  whole  growth  in  the  bearing 
canes  concentrates  the  force  of  the  vine  in  the  fruit,  so  the 
shortening  of  the  side  growth  upon  non-bearing  canes  concen- 
trates it  in  the  principal  shoots,  ripening  their  wood,  enlarging 
and  strengthening  their  T)uds,  and  preparing  them  for  yield- 
ing a  full  crop  of  fruit  in  their  season.  It  only  remains  to 
limit  the  length  of  growth  in  these  main  non-bearing  canes  to 


354  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

their  prescribed  boundaries,  whether  allowing  five  feet  or  twen- 
ty, nipping  and  renipping  their  extremities  as  may  be  required 
to  effect  the  object. 

In  doing  this,  leave  at  least  one  or  two  extra  joints,  to  be  cut 
from  the  end  in  the  winter  pruning  ;  and  if  the  canes  are  de- 
sired to  make  cuttings,  omit  nipping  the  extremities  of  the  main 
shoots  entirely  until  two  or  three  weeks  before  the  growth  ceases 
in  the  fall,  which  will  afford  time  for  perfectly  maturing  the 
cane  throughout  its  length. 

Faithful  summer  pruning  will  be  found  not  only  essential  to 
the  perfection  of  the  growing  crop,  but  largely  conducive  to 
the  amount  and  character  of  the  next  year's  product ;  it  should, 
however,  be  done  regularly,  and  not  neglected  until  its  per- 
formance becomes  analogous  to  the  French  practice  of  strip- 
ping off  the  leaves  for  fodder.  American  vines  will  not  bear 
this  ;  fullness  of  foliage  is  essential  to  their  vigorous  health  ; 
and,  unless  the  leaves  are  so  massed  as  to  exclude  air,  the  fruit 
will  ripen  fairer  and  sweeter  in  their  shade. 

WINTER  PRUNING. 

The  winter  pruning  of  grape-vines  in  both  systems  is  per- 
formed, as  already  shown,  by  cutting  out  to  a  single  bud  all 
the  bearing  canes  of  the  preceding  summer,  cutting  also  clean 
away  all  the  side  shoots  or  summer  spurs  of  the  new  canes,  and 
shortening  these  to  their  proper  length  for  producing  the  com- 
ing crop,  according  to  the  bearing  capacity  of  your  vine.  This 
winter  pruning  may  be  properly  performed  at  any  convenient 
time  from  the  fall  of  the  leaf  to  at  least  a  month  before  the 
actual  opening  of  spring ;  but  the  best  time  to  do  it  is  imme- 
diately on  the  dropping  of  the  foliage,  chopping  up  all  trim- 
mings not  required  for  cuttings,  and  burying  them  with  the 
fallen  leaves  around  the  vines  from  which  they  came.  The 
green  summer  trimmings  throughout  the  season  should  also  be 
either  buried  or  strewn  beneath  the  vines  to  decay,  and  not  be 
carried  off. 

The  cuttings  also  may  be  made  and  planted  before  winter,  as 
directed  page  197  ;  or,  if  desired,  the  canes  for  cuttings  may 
be  buried  a  few  inches  deep  until  spring. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  355 


GRAPE-HOUSE. 

If  a  proper  grapery  is  desired,  its  construction  and  manage- 
Fig  220  ment    may    be    learned 

from  any  of  the  numer- 
ous elaborate  treatises 
upon  grape  culture.  But 
any  one  may  construct  a 
cheap  cold  grapery,  as 
shown  in  the  figure,  in 
which  foreign  grapes,  or 
the  more  tender  of  our 
own  native  kinds  may  be  produced. 

For  this  purpose,  choose  a  spot  facing  as  near  south  as  pos- 
sible ;  if  against  a  building  or  a  bank  wall,  so  much  the  better. 
Trench  the  spot  so  chosen,  and  ten  feet  beyond  where  the  front 
of  your  house  will  come,  to  a  depth  of  two  feet  or  more,  enrich- 
ing it  as  you  proceed  with  the  various  manures  named  p.  349. 
If  the  subsoil  is  at  all  moist,  throw  into  the  bottom  of  each 
trench,  as  you  make  it,  loose  stones,  brick-bats,  lime  rubbish, 
old  boots  and  shoes,  brush,  &c.,  &c. 

When  this  is  finished  and  the  ground  settled,  lay  out  your 
house  twelve  feet  wide,  with  the  front  two  to  four  feet  high  and 
the  back  twelve.  Having  set  posts  for  the  whole,  board  all 
tight  on  both  sides  of  the  posts,  as  is  usual  in  constructing  ice- 
houses, leaving  only  an  end  door-way,  and  small  openings  for 
ventilators  along  just  below  the  front  and  back  plates,  to  be 
closed  either  with  hinged  or  sliding  wooden  or  glass  doors. 
As  you  proceed  with  the  boarding,  fill  in  all  between  the  posts 
with  sawdust,  or  dry  tan,  or  swamp  hay,  or  straw  and  charcoal 
dust,  or  dried  peat,  or  swamp-muck,  pretty  well  packed  down. 

•Having  all  smooth  and  ready,  lay  on  your  plates  and  arrange 
the  rafters,  which  will  be  something  over  fifteen  feet  long,  and 
may  be  three  feet  apart  in  the  clear.  This  will  require  sashes 
three  feet  wide,  each  having  five  rows  of  six-inch  glass,  or  six 
rows  of  five-inch.  These  sashes  will  rest,  and  may  either  be 
fixed,  or  slide  upon  cleats  nailed  against  the  rafters,  the  front 
plate  being  beveled  so  that  the  lower  sashes  will  slide  from 
their  cleats  evenly  over  it,  if  desired. 


356  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

For  the  upper  sashes,  nail  the  cleats  so  as  to  bring  the  up- 
per surface  of  the  sash  frames  flush  with  the  upper  edge  of  the 
rafters,  while  the  lower  end  of  each  rests  upon  the  back  rail  of 
the  lower  sash,  fitting  closely,  but  so  that  it  will  slide  over  it 
when  it  is  desired  to  open  the  upper  part  of  the  house.  These 
sashes  may  be  about  six  feet  long,  or  the  house  may  be  made 
sixteen  feet  wide,  requiring  rafters  about  nineteen,  and  sashes 
seven  feet  or  more  long,  and  the  small  remaining  portion  of 
the  roof  may  be  shingled  or  tightly  boarded  over,  packing  it  as 
the  other  boarded  parts,  if  it  is  convenient.  The  frames  of 
such  sashes,  made  of  inch  and  a-  half  or  two-inch  stuff,  will 
cost,  without  glass  or  painting,  about  one  dollar  each,  and  each 
sash  will  hold  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  feet  of  glass,  which  any 
boy  may  put  in.  If  you  have  no  protection  from  bank  wall  or 
building,  you  may,  if  convenient,  add  a  small  narrow  shed  along 
the  back,  as  shown  in  the  figure. 

Having  your  grape-house  thus  prepared,  plant  a  vine  under 
each  rafter  ten  or  twelve  inches  inside  the  front,  and  another, 
if  you  choose,  immediately  opposite,  near  the  back. 

By  either  the  spur  or  alternating  system  of  pruning,  as  de- 
scribed for  out-door  culture,  you  gradually  lead  them  up  and 
along  just  below  the  rafters  until  they  meet.  They  require 
careful  summer  pruning.  Nip  each  bearing  cane  within  two 
or  three  buds  of  the  fruit,  and  the  small  side  shoots  of  the  new 
non-bearing  canes  uniformly  to  within  one  bud  distance  from 
the  cane,  and  repeat  this  nipping  upon  any  second  growth  that 
may  occur.  See  page  353.  They  also  need  frequent  water- 
ings, at  least  once  a  week,  extending  over  the  whole  border,  for 
which  soap-suds  may  be  used.  In  bright  weather,  except  while 
blossoming,  they  should  be  syringed  with  tepid  water  three  or 
four  times  a  week  until  the  grapes  are  full  grown,  when  water- 
ing and  syringing  should  gradually  cease. 

If  the  fruit  is  likely  to  crowd  on  the  bunches,  and  there  be 
a  fancy  for  peculiarly  handsome  bunches  and  fine  berries,  the 
smaller  berries  may  be  thinned  out  with  the  grape  scissors. 
See  Fig.  92  e,  page  209.  With  this  view,  also,  the  number 
of  blossom  bunches  left  at  first  may  be  specially  limited.  By 
these  combined  means,  under  favorable  circumstances,  the  fruit 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  357 

will  be  much  increased  in  size  and  improved  in  quality.  If 
the  mildew  occurs,  scatter  sulphur  upon  them  immediately ; 
and  if  the  aphis  attacks  them,  shut  the  house  up,  and  either 
with  a  furnace  or  patent  fumigator  or  smoke  it  thoroughly  with 
tohacco,  following  this  with  heavy  syringing.  From  first  to  last, 
give  them  gradually,  never  suddenly,  all  the  air  you  possibly  can, 
consistent  with  their  protection  from  cold  and  sudden  changes. 

Careful  pruning,  plenty  of  air,  and  a  temperature  equable, 
but  rising  with  the  advancing  season,  with  syringing  and  wa- 
tering, the  artificial  substitutes  for  dews  and  rains,  complete 
the  circle  of  requisites  in  the  treatment  of  a  cold  grapery. 

In  November,  the  vines  may  be  taken  down  and  pruned  for 
spring,  and  being  laid  along  upon  the  border,  front  and  back, 
must  be  covered  with  leaves,  or  mats,  or  straw,  to  preserve 
them  from  frost  through  the  winter.  In  March  they  should 
be  taken  out  and  put  up  as  before,  first  being  carefully  washed 
throughout  with  soap-suds  and  a  soft  brush. 

If  you  desire  to  convert  your  building  into  a  warm  grapery, 
you  may  do  so  by  putting  in  the  heating  apparatus  described 
page  475  for  the  green-house,  giving  it  the  same  general  care 
and  treatment  as  above  directed  for  cold  grapery,  except  that 
the  vines  must  be  washed  off  and  put  up  in  January  or  Febru- 
ary, or  may  be  left  up  throughout  the  year ;  and  the  heat, 
whenever  applied,  must  not  be  made  strong  at  once,  but  grad- 
ually and  slowly  raised  to  a  summer  temperature. 

If  grapes  are  cultivated  in  the  green-house,  the  vines  must 
be  planted  and  laid  down  for  winter  just  outside  the  front  wall, 
and  may  be  introduced  in  proper  season  by  raising  the  front 
sash,  from  the  lower  corner  of  which  a  hole  large  enough  for 
the  stem  must  be  cut  out.  After  the  vine  is  in  its  place,  this 
must  be  closed  around  the  stem  by  stuffing,  and  the  outer  por- 
tion of  the  stem  and  the  roots  be  well  covered  from  the  cold. 

THE  MULBERRY. 

The  mulberry  is  one  of  our  abounding  wild  fruits,  and  is, 
perhaps,  worthy  of  more  attention  and  cultivation  than  it  re- 
ceives. The  fruit  resembles  a  long  blackberry,  and,  if  gath- 
ered and  eaten  before  it  becomes  dead  ripe,  has  a  pleasant 


358 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 
Fig.  221. 


a.  Fertile  branch,  with  fruit  of  natural  size,  and 
leaf  reduced  nearly  one  half. 

acid  flavor;  but  if  permitted  to 
ripen  fully,  it  becomes  of  a  pe- 
culiar flavored  faint  sweet,  and  is 
good  only  for  chickens.  The 
white  varieties  are  still  more  sick- 
ly flavored  than  the  red. 

The  Johnson  Mulberry  is  an  im- 
proved seedling  from  Ohio. 

The  European  variety  is  larger  and  less  elongated  than  the 
American,  and  is  by  some  esteemed  for  its  flavor,  but  in  this 
respect  it  has  similar  defects. 

The  trees,  which  form  a  fine  shade,  may  be  transferred  from 
the  woods,  or  raised  from  seed  or  cuttings. 


b.  Young  branch,  with  its  ament  or 
catkin,  showing  the  stamens. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


359 


The  silk- worm  feeds  upon  the  leaves  of  almost  every  variety 
of  mulberry,  but  the  white-fruited  kinds,  with  the  very  large- 
leaved  Morus  Multicaulis,  are  chiefly  fed  for  silk. 

VARIETIES. 

Morus  Kubra,  or  common  wild  red  Mulberry  (Fig.  221). 
Morus  Johnsonii,  or  Johnson's  Mulberry. 
Morus  Nigra,  or  European  Mulberry. 

THE  NECTARINE. 

The  Nectarine  is  a  mere  ^  222. 

sub-variety  of  the  peach, 
from  the  pits  of  which  new 
kinds  of  the  nectarine  are 
sometimes  "accidentally" 
produced.  It  has  a  smooth 
skin,  and  also  some  pleas- 
ant peculiarities  of  flavor, 
which  render  it  a  desirable 
fruit ;  but  it  is  exposed  to 
the  attacks  of  the  curculio 
and  other  insects  to  such 
an  extent  as  almost  entire- 
ly to  discourage  its  culti- 
vation. 

It  is  treated  in  all  re- 
spects like  the  peach,  tak- 
ing the  same  precautions 
against  the  worm  in  the 
root,  and  adding,  as  paving 
can  not  be  resorted  to,  the 
practice  of  jarring  the  cur- 
culio into  sheets,  as  direct- 
ed for  the  plum,  page  279. 

In  those  districts  of 
country  where  the  latter 

fruit  is  Successfully  raised,  &.  Medium  Nectarine. 

the  nectarine  would  probably  succeed  also,  and  would  be  found 
a  pleasant  acquisition. 


360  AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 

NECTARINES 

Numbered  nearly  in  the  order  of  ripening. 


FREESTONES. 


1.  Early  Violet. 

2.  Hunt's  Tawney. 

3.  Hardwicke. 


4.  El  Ruge. 

5.  New  White. 

6.  Boston. 


CLINGSTONES. 

7.  Newington.  8.  Koman. 

NUTS. 

The  butternut,  Juglans  dnerea  ;  the  black  walnut,  Juglans 
nigra  •  the  shatter-bark  hickory-nut,  Carya  alba  •  and  the 
chestnut,  Castanea  Americana,  which  are  common  in  the 
Northern  and  Eastern  States ;  the  chinquapin,  or  small  chest- 
nut, Castanea  pumila,  of  Pennsylvania  and  southward ;  with 
the  pecan-nut  (French  pacanier),  Juglans  olivceformis,  and 
the  peanut  of  the  Southwest  and  South,  are  all  familiar  to 
my  readers.  The  Madeira-nut,  Juglans  regia,  is  a  thin-shell- 
ed and  valuable  nut,  the  trees  of  which  are  cultivated  to  some 
extent  among  us,  but  which  might  probably  be  grafted  upon 
either  the  butternut  or  any  variety  of  the  hickory.  There  are 
also  a  number  of  varieties  of  filbert,  some  of  which  are  occa- 
sionally seen,  but  seldom  in  the  green  state,  in  our  markets. 
They  generally  have  thinner  shells,  and  better  flavored  and 
larger  kernels  than  the  hazel-nut ;  they  are  rather  elongated 
in  form,  and  the  husk  of  some  kinds  is  peculiarly  and  hand- 
somely fringed. 

The  varieties  are  the  Cosford,  the  Red-kerneled,  the  White, 
the  Frizzled.  They  are  all  easily  raised  from  offshoots,  or  may 
be  grafted  with  perfect  success  upon  the  common  hazel-nut. 

There  is  a  rather  new  small  nut,  which,  though  not  a  tree, 
may  be  mentioned  here.  It  is  the  EARTH  ALMOND  or  "  CHUFA," 
Cyperus  esculentus.  This  sweet  and  pleasant  nut  is  pro- 
duced abundantly  upon  the  roots  of  a  plant  that  resembles  low 
tussock  grass.  The  nuts,  which  are  about  the  size  of  large 
bush  beans,  should  be  planted  or  sown  in  drills  twelve  or 
eighteen  inches  apart,  and  an  inch  deep,  at  corn-planting 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


861 


Fig.  223. 


time,  and  require  during  their  growth  only  ordinary  and  not 
deep  culture,  with  a  slight  earthing  up  in  the  process.  The 
first  frost  in  fall  changes  the  foliage,  after  which  they  may  be 
taken  up  at  any  time  before  severe  cold,  and  dried  and  stored 
for  winter  use.  They  require  to  be  washed  or  cleaned  by  fric- 
tion, and  may  be  eaten  as  chestnuts,  either  raw  or  boiled. 
They  are  native  in  Southern  Europe,  and  are  supposed  to  be 
nutritive  and  fattening.  In  certain  soils  and  localities,  how- 
ever, they  might  become  troublesome  as  an  ineradicable  knot 
grass,  of  which  the  plant  is  a  cultivated  variety. 

OLIVE. 

The  Olive  is  a  small  dark  or  green  plum-like  fruit,  which, 
while  quite  tender,  is  used  for  making  pick- 
les. For  this  purpose  they  are  steeped 
in  weak  ley,  washed  off,  and  bottled  in 
brine,  with  sweet  fennel  or  spice  for  fla- 
voring. 

They  are,  however,  chiefly  valuable  for 
the  sweet  limpid  oil  they  yield,  which  in 
Southern  Europe  enters  largely  into  the 
ordinary  course  of  cookery,  forms  a  sub- 
stitute for  butter  and  cream,  and  is  es- 
teemed as  affording  both  comforts  and  lux- 
uries in  families.  It  'forms  also  an  im- 
portant article  of  commerce.  The  tree  at- 
tains a  height  of  perhaps  twenty  feet, 
bears  in  a  few  years  after  planting,  prefers 
the  rockiest  limestone  regions,  such-as  is 
the  Mount  of  Olives  in  sacred  story,  and 
is  very  long  lived.  It  is  also  tolerably  hardy,  and  probably 
might  be  raised  to  profit  at  the  South.  The  tree  is  propagated 
readily  from  seeds,  cuttings,  or  layers,  and  also  by  small  knot- 
buds,  or  "  eggs,"  which  are  formed  upon  the  trunk,  and  which 
are  planted  in  the  same  manner  as  the  seeds,  the  latter,  how- 
ever, producing  the  best  trees.  It  might  doubtless  be  grafted 
successfullv  on  the  common  wild  oli^e  or  "  devil -wood." 

Q 


a.  Single  fruit. 
&.  Branch    with 
fruit. 


young 


362 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


THE  ORANGE,  LEMON,  LIME,  CITRON,  AND  SHADDOCK. 

Fig.  224. 


c.  Lime. 


d.  Citron. 


For  all  these  fruits,  the  wild  orange  of  the  South  affords  a 
ready  supply  of  suitable  stocks  upon  which  they  may  be  bud- 
ded or  grafted.  In  forming  orange  orchards,  the  trees  may  be 
planted  from  eight  to  twenty  feet  apart,  in  rich,  strong  soil. 

There  is  a  considerable  variety  of  oranges,  some  of  which 
have  red  pulp,  and  all  fragrant  blossoms.  The  Bergamot  va- 
riety yields  the  essence  known  by  that  name,  by  distillation 
from  its  flowers,  fruit,  and  leaves.  The  Bitter  or  Seville  or- 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  363 

ange  is  valued  for  making 
marmalade.  Of  the  eat- 
able kinds,  the  St.  Micha- 
el's, though  small,  is  most 
esteemed  for  its  delightful 
sweetness.  There  is  also 
a  sweet  lemon  grown  in 
Italy,  which  resembles  a 
second-rate  orange. 
,  The  lemon  is  the  well- 
known  fine  acid  fruit  of 
commerce. 
The  lime  is  a  smaller  and  somewhat  inferior  fruit,  but  is 

especially  esteemed  in  the  green  state  for  preserves. 

The  citron  is  a  rough  fruit,  with  a  very  thick  rind,  larger 

than  the  largest  lemon,  but  inferior  in  the  quality  of  its  acid. 

The  candied  citron  of  the  confectioners  is  made  from  its  skin. 
The  shaddock  is  a  still  larger  fruit,  in  form  more  resembling 

the  orange,  curious  but  worthless. 

THE  PEACH. 

Of  the  two  distinct  classes  into  which  peaches  are  divided, 
as  freestones  or  clings,  the  cultivation  of  the  latter  has  been 
almost  entirely  abandoned,  the  exceptions  consisting  of  a  few 
kinds  of  peculiar  excellence  or  for  special  uses,  as  the  Heath 
and  Lemon  clings.  Their  other  natural  division  into  white,  or 
yellow,  or  red  fleshed,  is  equally  marked,  and  furnishes  some 
aid  in  making  selections.  The  finer  white-fleshed  varieties 
furnish  those  of  a  more  sugary  and  sometimes  aromatic  flavor  ; 
the  choice  yellow  -  fleshed  are  almost  uniformly  vinous  and 
sprightly ;  the  red-fleshed  or  blood  peach  is  usually  more  acid 
than  is  agreeable,  except  for  preserving. 

There  are  two  common  forms  of  the  peach,  which  are  of 
some  distinctness,  the  round  and  the  long.  Generally  the^ 
rounder  forms  (Fig.  225  a),  which  are  also  often  slightly  flat- 
tened, or  apple-form,  indicate  the  higher  grades  of  the  fruit, 
and  include  almost  the  whole  list  of  superior  peaches. 

The  elongated  and  compressed  forms,  with  sometimes  a  heavy 


364 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 
Fig.  225,  a. 


suture  (Fig.  225  b),  approximating  more  nearly  to  the  natural 

Fig.  225,  &. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  365 

and  thinner-fleshed  form  of  the  almond,  include  almost  all  the 
inferior  varieties  down  to  those  known  as  "  hog  peaches." 

Until  within  the  last  thirty  years,  the  peach-tree  grew  so 
luxuriantly,  and  bore  so  abundantly  without  any  care,  that  the 
little  labor  which  it  now  requires  to  bring  it  to  maturity  and 
renew  it  every  two  or  three  years,  since  it  can  not  be  perpetu- 
ated, is  not  unfrequently  neglected  or  begrudged.  It  is  still 
the  most  easily  raised  of  all  our  larger  fruits.  A  few  pits  from 
common  and  healthy  fruit,  kept  and  planted  as  directed  page 
204,  will  furnish  stocks  of  from  three  to  five  feet  high,  ready 
for  budding  the  first  fall,  upon  which  fruit  of  the  finer  varieties 
may  be  expected  in  the  third  or  fourth  year  from  the  pit.  If 
from  any  cause  seedling  peach  stocks  are  not  budded  in  the 
fall  of  their  first  year,  unless  a  high-stemmed  stock  is  desired, 
cut  them  down  to  the  ground  early  in  the  following  spring, 
and  permit  a  single  shoot  to  grow  from  the  stump  for  budding 
in  the  succeeding  fall.  The  necessity  for  this  course  should 
be  avoided  by  timely  planting  of  the  pits,  careful  summer  cul- 
ture of  the  young  plants,  and  attention  to  budding  and  unbind- 
ing in  proper  season ;  but  if  it  becomes  necessary,  it  is  better 
than  to  leave  the  stock  to  an  uninterrupted  second  year's 
growth.  The  young  trees  may  be  set  out  and  headed  down  ei- 
ther the  following  spring  before  the  bud  starts,  or,  being  headed 
down,  as  directed  page  225,  may  be  left  to  stand  another  year, 
when  the  growth  from  the  bud  will  vary  from  four  to  seven  or 
eight  feet  high. 

In  their  culture,  from  the  start,  let  the  head  of  the  tree  be 
kept  moderately  open  by  cutting  out  a  foot  or  two  of  the  ex- 
tremity or  leader  of  the  first  year's  growth  from  the  bud,  thin- 
ning the  branches  annually  afterward,  and  every  spring  short- 
ening each  young  shoot  one  half  of  its  growth  of  the  previous 
year.  Set  your  peach-trees  where  they  can  be  kept  clean,  and 
cultivated  as  summer  crops,  and  never,  if  it  can  be  avoided, 
where  the  sod  is  to  remain  unbroken  around  them.  If  this  can 
not  be  conveniently  avoided,  treat  them  with  liquid  manure  re- 
peatedly through  the  summer  over  a  space  somewhat  larger 
than  the  spread  of  the  top,  and  dress  in  the  spring  with  ash 
compost  or  guano  to  the  same  extent ;  yet  be  careful  in  all 


366 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


cases  not  to  stimulate  them  too  highly,  especially  in  northern 
latitudes,  or  they  will  probably  be  winter-killed. 

For  modes  of  treating  the  worm  and  yellows,  see  pages  262 
and  277. 

In  orchard  culture,  the  trees  are  set  out  at  from  twelve  to 
fifteen  feet  apart,  and  cultivated  with  the  plow,  more  or  less  of 
summer  crops,  as  potatoes,  &c.,  being  raised  Ibetween  them. 
The  trees  usually  yield  two  or  three  crops  and  die,  being  suc- 
ceeded by  new  plantings  upon  other  spots.  Under  this  system, 
the  light  sands  of  New  Jersey  and  the  richer  soils  of  Delaware 
furnish  the  immense  annual  supplies  which,  unless  cut  off  by 
frost,  glut  our  city  markets. 

SELECT   LIST   OF   PEACHES, 

Numbered  nearly  in  the  order  in  which  they  will  ripen  in  any 
given  soil  and  latitude,  with  their  usual  time  of  ripening  at 
New  York. 

The  size  of  this  fruit  depends  so  much  upon  soil,  culture, 
&c.,  that  I  have  not  deemed  it  worth  while  to  note  it  particu- 
larly. Those  marked  with  a  star  are  yellow-fleshed. 

FREESTONES. 

1.  Tillotson,  ripens  early  in  August,  j  *12.  Bergen  Yellow,  early  in   Sep- 


2.  Troth's  Early,  early  in  August. 

3.  Gross  Mignonne,  mid- August. 

4.  Coolidge's  Favorite,  mid-August. 

5.  Early  York  (Serrate),  after  mid- 

August. 

6.  Walter's  Early,  late  August. 

7.  Red  Rareripe  (Morris's),  last  of 

August. 

8.  George  the  Fourth,  late  August. 
*9.  Crawford's  Early,  last  of  August. 

10.  Noblesse,  last  of  August. 

11.  Oldmixon  Free,  early  in  Septem- 

ber. 


tember. 

13.  Nivette,  early  in  September. 
*14.  Scott's  Nonpareil,  mid-Septem- 
ber. 

15.  Morris  White,  September. 

16.  Late  Admirable,  mid- Septem- 

ber. 

*17.  Crawford's  Late,  after  mid-Sep- 
tember. 

18.  Druid  Hill,  last  of  September. 

19.  La  Grange,  last  of  September 

and  into  October. 

20.  Ward's  Late,  early  in  October. 


CLINGS. 

21.  Oldmixon  Cling,  early  in  Sep-  23.  Hyslop's  Cling,  early  in   Octo- 
tember. 


*22.  Lemon   Cling,  after  mid-Sep- 
tember. 


ber. 
24.  Heath  Cling,  October,  and  keeps. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  367 


THE  PEAR. 

If  there  is  some  difficulty  in  making  choice  of  an  assortment 
of  apples,  there  is  still  more  in  suitably  selecting  pears. 

This  arises  not  only  from  the  great  number  of  kinds,  in- 
creased by  the  annual  introduction  of  new  ones,  but  also  still 
more  from  the  generally  perishable  nature  of  the  fruit,  and  its 
extreme  liability  to  vary  in  character,  and  often  to  become 
worthless  from  peculiarities  of  soil,  season,  or  general  climate. 
Individual  taste  has  also  more  to  do  with  the  reputation  of 
pears  than  perhaps  with  that  of  any  other  fruit,  comparatively 
few  persons  having  such  a  range  of  acquaintance  with  kinds  as 
to  qualify  them  to  form  a  discriminating  judgment  by  compar- 
ison. 

A  gentleman  who,  in  his  youth,  had  eaten  pears  from  a  cer- 
tain tree,  and  remembered  them  as  finer  than  any  others  he  had 
ever  tasted,  rode  forty  miles  to  enjoy  again  the  favorite  of  his 
boyhood,  and  to  obtain  scions  that  he  might  place  it  foremost 
in  his  fruit  garden,  but  he  found  it  utterly  worthless  in  com- 
parison with  those  he  already  possessed.  The  circle  of  his 
knowledge  had  been  enlarged,  and  his  maturer  judgment  did 
not  verify  the  impression  of  his  inexperience. 

We  have,  however,  attempted  to  name  an  assortment  of  kinds 
that  will  not  disappoint  the  cultivator,  although  in  reference 
to  some  of  them  much  diversity  of  opinion  still  exists,  and  care- 
ful attention  to  the  remarks  on  introducing  new  varieties  (pages 
190  and  192)  is  especially  urged  in  this  connection. 

Pear-trees  generally,  if  on  good  seedling  stocks,  form  longer, 
and  fewer,  and  less  fibrous  roots  than  apple  or  cherry-trees.  It 
is  therefore  peculiarly  proper  that  they  should  be  set  out  while 
small,  having  their  roots  well  shortened,  and  the  top  cut  back 
to  balance.  A  strong  cedar,  or  locust,  or  chestnut- stake,  deep- 
ly set  by  each  tree,  will  defend  it ;  and  if  the  tree  be  of  irreg- 
ular or  drooping  habit,  the  stake  may  be  used  to  support  it,  and 
aid  in  training  it  upward.  See  page  246.  Many  kinds  of 
pear-trees  have  habits  of  growth  that  render  them  unsightly, 
and  make  it  sometimes  difficult  to  secure  the  fruit,  the  tree  be- 


368  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

ing  either  straggling  or  rampant.  Such  should  be  carefully 
watched  and  summer  pruned  by  nipping,  and,  if  need  be,  by 
cutting  back  in  August.  The  Seckel,  and,  still  more  striking- 
ly, the  Lodge,  when  growing  naturally  on  moderate  soil,  afford 
models  for  the  general  formation  of  the  head  of  pear-trees,  al- 
though each  of  these  may  need  to  have  the  young  cross-shoots 
nipped  out,  and  occasionally,  perhaps,  the  shortening  of  a  vig- 
orous upright  leader. 

The  distance  for  planting  pear-trees  may  be  from  twenty  to 
thirty  feet  each  way,  the  trees  being  .alternated  or  in  diamond 
form,  not  in  precise  squares.  Dwarfed  pears  may  be  set  from 
six  to  ten  feet  apart. 

The  best  soil  for  pears,  in  general,  is  a  deep  warm  loam,  but 
there  are  varieties  suited  to  all  soils ;  and  even  from  those 
which  are  cold  and  unpromising,  if  the  hardier  and  sweeter 
summer  and  fall  varieties  are  selected,  fruit  of  fair  quality  may 
be  obtained,  if  it  is  properly  treated  after  being  gathered. 

Winter  pears  may  be  suffered  to  hang  as  long  as  they  are 
safe  from  frost,  but  all  the  varieties  of  summer  and  fall  pears 
should  be  gathered  before  they  "  turn"  upon  the  tree,  and  be 
kept  in  a  warm,  dry  room  to  hasten  their  ripening ;  but  if  it  be 
an  object  to  retard  this,  or  for  all  winter  kinds,  let  them  be 
wrapped  and  packed  in  barrels  or  boxes  as  directed  for  the  finer 
apples,  page  289.  On  being  brought  from  their  cool  place  of 
deposit  into  the  warmth  in  such  small  quantities  as  may  from 
time  to  time  be  desirable,  they  will  ripen  promptly  and  finely 
for  use. 

There  are  as  yet  but  few  very  fine  winter  or  spring  varieties 
of  pears,  and  the  variableness  of  character  above  referred  to  is 
perhaps  more  noticeable  and  more  discouraging  to  the  cultiva- 
tor in  these  than  in  the  ordinary  summer  and  fall  kinds,  but 
such  as  we  have  will  well  repay  the  care  needed  for  preserving 
and  ripening  them. 

Winter  pears,  suitable  for  cooking,  abound,  and  may  be  kept 
safely  in  barrels  in  the  same  manner  as  apples ;  and  when  baked 
or  stewed  as  directed  for  the  latter,  page  289,  but  with  water 
enough  to  cover  them,  they  constitute  another  healthful  and 
ploasant  substitute  for  indigestible  sweetmeats  or  preserves. 


AMERICAN   HUME   GARDEN. 


369 


SELECT   LIST   OF    PEARS 

Numbered  nearly  in  the  order  in  which  they  will  ripen  in 
any  given  soil  and  latitude. 

Most  of  the  kinds  will  succeed  dwarfed  upon  the  quince, 
perhaps  especially  the  varieties  named  from  1  to  11.  See 
page  206.  In  a  few  kinds  the  size  and  quality  of  the  fruit 
will  be  improved  by  this  process,  particularly  Louise  Bonne  de 
Jersey,  Beurre  Diel,  Duchesse  d'Angouleme,  and  some  others. 
The  ordinary  time  of  their  ripening  at  New  York  accompanies 
the  figure  and  description  given  below. 


1.  Madeline. 

2.  Bloodgoocl. 

3.  Dearborn's  Seedling. 

4.  Julienne. 


5.  Tyson. 

6.  Rostiezer. 

7.  Summer  Franc  Real. 

8.  Bartlett. 

9.  Canandaigua. 

10.  Vanilla. 

11.  Stevens's  Genesee. 

12.  Dunmore. 

13.  Heathcot. 

14.  Fondante  d'Automne. 

15.  Lodge. 

16.  Flemish  Beauty. 

1 7.  Maria  Louisa. 

18.  Ananas. 

19.  Louise  Bonne  de  Jersey. 

20.  Beurre  Bosc. 

21.  Urbaniste. 

Heretofore  the  orchard  cultivation  of  winter  pears,  either  for 
eating  out  of  hand  or  cooking,  has  not  been  extensively  pur- 
sued ;  a  few  of  the  larger  kinds  of  the  latter  class  have  for 
many  years  been  raised  for  exportation  to  the  West  Indies  and 
the  extreme  South.  The  cultivation  of  both  classes  might,  no 
doubt,  be  profitably  extended.  Those  calculated  for  cooking 
only,  as  the  Winter  Bell,  Cattillac,  and  Black  Pear  of  Worces- 
ter, may  be  successfully  raised  in  localities  and  on  soils  too  cold 
for  the  production  of  the  others. 

Q2 


22.  Petre. 

23.  Seckel. 

24.  Virgalieu  (or  White  Doyenne). 

25.  Gray  Virgalieu  (or  Gray  Doy- 

enne). 

26.  Beurre  Diel. 

27.  Duchesse  d'Angouleme. 

28.  Dix. 

29.  Onondaga. 

30.  Oswego  Beurre. 

31.  Beurre  d'Aremberg. 

32.  Glout  Morceau. 

33.  Passe  Colmar. 

34.  Lawrence. 

35.  Columbia. 

36.  Knight's  Monarch. 

37.  Chaumontelle. 

38.  Winter  Nelis. 

39.  Winter  Bell. 

40.  Easter  Beurre. 


370 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


1. 


Fig.  226. 


MADELINE. 

Tree  erect  and  very  vigor- 
ous ;  young  shoots  olive. 

Bears  early  and  well,  but  is 
subject  to  sour-sap  blight,  par- 
ticularly in  rich,  moist  soils. 

Fruit  below  medium ;  almost 
obovate ;  smooth  yellowish- 
green. 

Flesh  white,  melting,  juicy ; 
sweet,  sometimes  slightly  acid. 

Matures  from  the  middle  to 
the  last  of  July.  Should  be 
gathered  in  season,  and  ripened 
in  the  house. 

2.   BLOODGOOD. 
Fig.  227. 


Tree  of  free  but  not 
vigorous  growth ;  shoots 
reddish  -  brown.  Hardy, 
and  bears  well. 

Fruit  below  medium ; 
pretty  uniformly  turbin- 
ate  ;  dull  yellow,  slightly 
russeted. 

Flesh  yellowish-white, 
buttery,  melting. 

Flavor  rich,  sweet,  and 
aromatic. 

Ripens  best  in  the 
house,  from  last  of  July 
to  near  mid- August. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 


371 


3.  DEARBORN'S  SEEDLING. 

Tree  vigorous,  rather  spread- 
ing; shoots  dark  brown.  Bears 
abundantly  in  all  soils. 

Fruit  small ;  regularly  tur- 
binate  ;  light  clear  yellow,  with 
a  little  russet.  Skin  very 
thin. 

Flesh  white,  juicy,  melting. 

Flavor  sweet  and  sprightly, 
with  a  pleasant  perfume. 


Tree  thrifty,  upright ; 
shoots  light  yellowish- 
brown.  A  good  and  con- 
stant bearer,  but  suited 
only  for  rich,  warm  soils 
and  favorable  localities ; 
requiring  high  culture. 

Fruit  below  medium ; 
regular  obovate ;  clear 
yellow. 

Flesh  white,  and  half 
buttery,  not  fine-grained. 

Flavor  sweet,  sometimes  very  slightly  astringent,  and,  when 
raised  in  warm  soils,  with  house  ripening,  very  good. 

Ripens  in  the  latter  part  of  August. 


372 


AMERICAN    HUME   GARDEN. 


5.    TYSON. 


Fig.  230. 


Tree  erect,  of  great  vigor ; 
shoots  dark  olive.  Bears  well. 

Fruit  small ;   nearly  pyri- 
form ;    dull   yellowish-green, 
with  a  reddish-brown  cheek,     / 
and  a  little  russeted. 

Flesh  not  fine-grained,  but 
extremely  juicy  and  melting. 

Flavor  sweet,  rich,  and  per- 
fumed. One  of  the  best  sum- 
mer pears.  Ripens  last  of 
August  and  onward. 


Tree  upright,  vigorous ; 
young  snoots  dark  red- 
dish-brown. Bears  well. 

Fruit  nearly  medium ; 
short  pyriform,  irregular ; 
yellow,  a  little  russet,  with 
red-brown  cheek. 

Flesh  white,  fine-grain- 
ed, melting,  and  juicy. 

Flavor  sugary,  aromat- 
ic, and  fine.  Ripens  last 
of  August. 

6.    ROSTIEZER. 
Fig.  231. 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN7.  373 

7.   SUMMER   FRANC   REAL. 
Fig.  232. 


Tree  hardy,  and  of  moderate  growth  ;  young  shoots  downy. 
Bears  well  in  all  soils. 

Fruit  nearly  medium ;  somewhat  obovate,  largest  in  the  mid- 
dle, and  tapering  pretty  equally  each  way  ;  yellowish-green. 

Flesh  white,  fine-grained,  buttery,  and  melting. 

Flavor  sweet,  rich,  and  excellent.  Ripens  last  of  August 
and  first  of  September. 

The  Franc  Real  is  one  of  the  most  desirable  of  summer 
pears.  In  favorable  circumstances  it  is  almost  uniformly  of 
fair  size,  and  perfect.  Its  character  is  very  decidedly  above 
that  of  any  pear  which  precedes  it  in  ripening ;  and  with  its 
facility  of  adaptation  to  various  soils,  its  healthful  growth,  and 
good  bearing  qualities,  it  will  be  found  an  acquisition  to  the 
fruit  plot.  Its  name  is  said  to  be  derived  from  a  Spanish  gold 
coin. 


374  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

8.  BARTLETT. 
Fig.  233. 


Tree  upright,  and  tolerably  thrifty ;  young  shoots  yellowish- 
brown.  Bears  early  and  freely. 

Fruit  large  to  very  large ;  variable  in  form,  mostly  obtuse 
pyriform,  often  almost  oval  pyriform,  imperfectly  pyramidal, 
sometimes  nearly  obovate ;  clear  yellow  when  ripe,  with  some- 
times a  blush  cheek,  and  smooth  but  wavy  surface.  Stem 
rather  short. 

Flesh  white,  fine-grained,  juicy,  and  melting. 

Flavor  fine,  sprightly,  vinous,  with  a  pleasant  perfume.  In 
cold  soils  and  unfavorable  localities  subacid  or  almost  acid. 

Ripens  from  mid- August  to  mid -Sept  ember. 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN.  375 


9.   CANANDAIGUA. 

Tree  extremely  vigorous,  throwing  up  a  growth  of  six  or 
Fig  234  eight  feet  from  the 

graft  in  one  season, 
demanding  careful 
cutting  back  to  give 
strength  of  stem, 
otherwise  apt  to  lop 
and  grow  unsym- 
metrically.  Young 
shoots  dark  olive- 
green,  erect.  An 
early  and  heavy 
bearer.  Fruit  large 
to  very  large,  irreg- 
ular pyriform,  some- 
times almost  oval 
pyriform ;  dull  yel- 
low, with  thin  rus- 
set spots,  and  many 
small  obscure  inden- 
tations of  surface. 
Stem  rather  long. 

Flesh  yellowish- 
white,  fine-grained, 
buttery,  perfectly 
melting,  and  very 

juicy- 
Flavor  rich  vinous  and  perfumed.     Ripens  with  the  Bart- 
lett  from  the  last  of  August  to  the  middle  of  September ;  is 
sometimes  sold  for  Bartlett,  which  it  often  closely  resembles, 
but  is  probably,  on  the  whole,  superior  to  it. 

It  is  an  American  pear  of  striking  and  peculiar  excellences  ; 
and  though  the  place  and  date  of  its  origin  are  in  uncertainty, 
it  has,  by  common  consent,  received  the  name  of  Canandaigua, 
having  at  least  been  most  largely  disseminated  from  that  beau- 
tiful village  and  region. 


376  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

10.  VANILLA. 

Fig.  235. 


Tree  upright,  of  free  growth  while  young,  but  checking  with 
its  early  and  abundant  bearing,  and  forming  a  somewhat  spread- 
ing head.  Young  shoots  dark  olive-brown.  Fruit  medium 
or  below,  especially  when  bearing  heavily ;  round,  obovate, 
slightly  unequal-sided ;  bright  grass-green,  becoming  yellow, 
with  a  few  russet  spots,  and  a  little  light  brown  russet  at  the 
insertion  of  the  stem  and  in  the  eye. 

Flesh  white,  fine-grained,  buttery,  and  melting. 

Flavor  peculiarly  high,  rich,  and  aromatic,  with  a  vanilla 
fragrance.  Ripens  about  the  last  of  September. 

The  original  tree  of  this  exquisite  pear  was  found  and  still 
stands  upon  the  old  Huguenot  Church  property  at  New  Ro- 
chelle,  Westchester  county,  whence  it  has  been  disseminated 
to  a  limited  extent  under  the  names  of  "  Church"  and  "  New 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 


377 


Rochelle"  pear,  and  perhaps  also  by  other  names  in  different 
localities ;  but  the  name  given  above  is  to  be  preferred,  as  de- 
scriptive of  its  most  obvious  peculiarity  when  carefully  and 
properly  ripened. 


11.    STEVENS'S   GENESEE. 
Fig.  236. 


Tree  of  great  vigor,  young  shoots  dark  gray,  diverging,  sub- 
ject to  sour-sap  blight.  A  good  bearer. 

Fruit  above  medium,  round,  obovate,  light  yellow,  a  little 
rough.  Flesh  white,  half  buttery,  and  juicy. 

Flavor  fine  rich  aromatic.     Ripens  in  September. 

This  pear  is  said  to  be  a  native  of  Livingston  county,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  valuable  of  the  new  pears  which  Western  New 
York  has  furnished.  It  belongs  to  the  class  of  Bergamot  pears, 
of  which  hitherto  there  have  been  few  good  ones,  except  Gan- 
sell's.  It,  however,  requires  guarding  against  the  risk  of  sour- 
sap  blight,  to  which  it  is  subject.  See  page  261. 


378 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 


12.   DUNMORE. 
Fig.  237. 


Tree  of  rather  strong  growth,  young  shoots  brownish  slate- 
color,  erect.  A  very  good  bearer,  its  blossoms  standing  pretty 
hard  frosts  without  injury.  Fruit  large,  oblong-obovate,  green- 
ish, with  some  brownish-red  russet. 

Flesh  yellowish-white,  buttery,  and  very  melting.  Flavor 
variable.  With  high  culture,  in  favorable  circumstances,  rich 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


379 


and  nigR-flavored ;  in  opposite  conditions  often  worthless.  It 
is  suited  to  warm  soils  and  locations.  Ripens  from  middle  of 
September  to  October. 


13.    HEATHCOT. 

Fig.  238. 


Tree  upright,  thrifty,  and  hardy,  with  reddish-brown  shoots. 
An  abundant  bearer. 

Fruit  medium,  obovate  or  slightly  rounded ;  greenish-yel- 
low, with  considerable  thin  russet.  Flesh  white,  buttery,  rath- 
er juicy  and  melting. 

Flavor  vinous,  sprightly,  and  perfumed.  Ripens  last  of 
September. 

This  fruit,  which  originated  in  Massachusetts  less  than  half 
a  century  ago,  though  not  of  the  very  highest  quality,  is  valu- 
able for  garden  or  orchard  culture. 


380 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


14.   FONDANTE   D'AUTOMNE. 

Tig.  239. 


Tree  hardy,  of  moderate  upright  growth ;  shoots  yellowish- 
gray.  A  good  bearer,  but  suited  to  dry,  warm  soils. 

Fruit  medium,  obovate,  pyriform  ;  pale  greenish-yellow,  with 
slight  russet.  Flesh  white,  fine-grained,  melting,  and  juicy. 

Flavor  very  variable ;  in  suitable  soil,  rich,  sugary,  per- 
fumed, and  delicious  ;  in  moist  soils  often  worthless.  Ripens 
in  the  latter  part  of  September. 

This  is  a  Flemish  fruit,  and  strikingly  illustrates  the  re- 
marks we  have  made  on  the  effect  of  soil  and  the  diversity  in 
individual  estimate'of  the  character  of  pears.  In  favorable  cir- 
cumstances it  is  of  very  superior  quality,  and  meets  the  high- 
est commendation  ;  in  opposite  conditions  its  character  is  quite 
inferior,  and  it  is  deemed  a  worthless  outcast. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


381 


15.  LODGE. 
Fig.  240. 


Tree  upright,  of  moderate  growth,  forming  naturally  a  per- 
fectly symmetrical' "  model"  head,  through  which  the  fruit 
hangs  singly.  Young  shoots  light  brown,  with  gray  specks  ; 
short  jointed.  Bears  well  annually,  even  while  quite  young. 
Requires  warm  soil  and  care  north  of  latitude  40°.  Fruit 
of  medium  size  (the  figure  is  small),  variable,  generally  pyri- 
form,  a  little  one  -  sided,  but  sometimes  angular  or  ribbed; 
greenish,  covered  with  clear  brown  russet.  ' 

Flesh  white,  very  juicy,  melting,  and  vinous ;  when  fully 
ripe,  excellent.  South  of  New  York  it  matures  thoroughly,  and 
stands  deservedly  high.  Ripens  about  the  last  of  September. 


382 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


16.   FLEMISH  BEAUTY. 

Fig.  241. 


Tree  of  very  luxuriant  growth,  upright. 

Young  shoots  dark  brown.  Bears  young  and  freely,  of  fair, 
handsome  fruit. 

Fruit  large  obovate,  rather  rough,  and  slightly  russeted ; 
pale  yellow,  with  a  reddish-brown  cheek. 

Flesh  yellowish-white,"  rather  coarse,  but  melting  and  juicy. 

Flavor  variable.  In  warm  soils,  and  with  early  gathering 
and  house-ripening,  it  is  rich,  sugary,  aromatic,  and  excellent, 
but  if  left  too  long  on  the  tree  it  is  apt  to  soften  at  the  core  and 
become  flavorless.  Ripens  the  last  of  September,  and  should 
be  eaten  without  delay. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


383 


17.   MARIA   LOUISA, 


Tree  of  strong  but  straggling  growth. 

Shoots  olive-gray ;  a  good  bearer,  suited  to  warm  soils  and 
locations,  and  high  culture. 

Fruit  large,  pyriform,  inclining  to  oblong ;  unequal-sided. 
Greenish,  with  some  light  russet. 

Flesh  white,  melting,  and  buttery. 

Flavor  quite  variable ;  in  suitable  conditions,  rich,  sugary, 
and  finely  vinous.  Ripens  last  of  September  and  October. 


I 

384 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


18.  ANANAS. 
Fig.  243. 


Tree  vigorous. 

Young  shoots  dark  brown  or  olive ;  an  early  and  regular 
bearer. 

Fruit  uniformly  above  medium,  often  large,  roundish  obovate, 
but  variable,  sometimes  angular  or  oval  obovate  ;  dull  yellow- 
ish-green, marbled  with  rough  brown  russet. 

Flesh  whitish,  fine-grained,  melting,  and  buttery. 

Flavor  sweet,  rich,  and  perfumed.     Ripens  in  all  September. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  385 

19.   LOUISE  BONNE   DE  JERSEY. 
Fig.  244. 


Tree  upright,  vigorous,  and  hardy. 

Young  shoots  dark  brown  or  purplish -olive,  with  gray  specks. 
A  very  good  bearer  of  uniformly  fair  fruit. 

Fruit  above  medium  or  large  ;  regular  pyriform,  or  very 
slightly  one-sided ;  pale  green,  with  grayish  dots  and  brown- 
i shared  cheek. 

Flesh  yellowish-white,  juicy,  and  melting. 

Flavor  rich,  rather  vinous,  excellent.  Ripens  from  middle 
of  September  into  October. 

R 


386 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


20.  BEURRE  BOSC. 

Fig.  246. 


Tree  of  moderate  vigor  and  straggling  growth. 
Young  shoots  brownish-olive.     Bears  fairly  and  regularly. 
Fruit  pretty  long-necked  or  acute  pyriform  ;  yellow,  with 
some  light  russet,  and  a  brownish-red  in  the  sun. 
Flesh  white,  melting,  and  buttery. 
Flavor  rich,  sweet,  and  perfumed.     Ripens  through  October. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


387 


21.    URBANISTE. 
I  ig.  246. 


Tree  upright,  healthful,  and  moderately  vigorous. 

Young  shoots  grayish-yellow.  Not  an  early,  but  a  good 
bearer,  and  suiting  well  in  rich  soils. 

Fruit  medium  obovate,  inclining  to  pyramidal ;  light  yellow, 
with  gray  dots  and  some  russet. 

Flesh  white  or  yellowish,  buttery,  melting,  and  very  juicy. 

Flavor  rich,  perfumed,  vinous,  or  sweet.  Ripens  in  the  house 
through  October  and  November. 

The  Urbaniste  resembles  the  Virgalieu  in  quality,  and  some- 
what also  in  appearance,  though,  in  general,  rather  smaller.  It 
is  of  fine  healthful  growth,  and,  once  in  bearing,  continues  to 
yield  its  fruit  regularly  and  abundantly. 


388 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


22.    PETRE. 
Fig.  247. 


Tree  of  moderate  growth. 

Young  shoots  slender,  yellowish-brown.     A  good  bearer. 

Fruit  medium  obovate,  pyriform ;  light  yellow,  with  some 
greenish  russet. 

Flesh  whitish,  fine-grained,  buttery. 

Flavor  sweet,  rich,  with  a  high  musky  flavor  when  in  per- 
fection. Ripens  in  October,  and  keeps  into  November. 

This  is  a  desirable  and  valuable  pear  of  the  Virgalieu  class, 
which,  if  gathered  early,  may  be  kept  for  some  time.  It  was 
raised  in  Philadelphia  by  Mr.  Bartram,  from  seed  sent  to  him 
from  London  in  1735  by  Lord  Petre. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  389 

23.   SECKEL. 

Fis- m-  Tree  of  healthful,  but  not 

rapid  growth,  forming  a  com- 
pact symmetrical  head,  not 
attaining  a  very  large  size. 

Young  shoots  brown-olive, 
stout  and  short.  A  good  and 
regular  bearer. 

Fruit  small  obovate,  red- 
dish-brown. 

Flesh  white,  buttery,  juicy, 
and  melting. 

Flavor  peculiarly  high,  rich, 
and  aromatic.  The  very  finest 
of  pears.  Ripens  in  the  house 
through  September  and  Octo- 
ber, or  later. 

This  small  but  exquisite  fruit  stands  deservedly  at  the  head 
of  all  pears  for  its  peculiarly  rich,  high  flavor.  There  is  no 
European  variety  that  resembles  or  compares  with  it.  It  is 
not  a  result  of  careful,  intelligent  cultivation,  but,  like  many 
of  our  foremost  fruits,  an  "  accidental  variety,"  the  precise  der- 
ivation of  which  is  unknown. 

The  original  tree  was  found  near  the  Delaware,  a  few  miles 
from  Philadelphia,  and  was  in  bearing  at  the  period  of  the 
Revolution  ;  but  the  fruit  remained  in  obscurity  until  the  land 
on  which  the  parent  tree  stood,  and  perhaps  still  stands,  became 
the  property  of  Mr.  Seckel,  after  whom  the  pear  is  named,  and 
by  whom  it  was  first  brought  to  public  notice. 

24.  VIRGALIEU  (Fig.  249). 

Tree  upright,  of  medium  strength. 

Young  shoots  light  brown ;  productive. 

Fruit  medium  or  above,  obovate,  variable,  sometimes  almost 
pyriform ;  pale  clear  yellow,  speckled  with  small  dots,  some- 
times having  a  fine  red  cheek. 

Flesh  white,  very  fine-grained,  buttery,  and  melting. 


390 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEX. 

Fig.  249. 


Flavor  rich  and  exquisite,  second  only  to  the  Seckel.  Rip- 
ens in  the  house  through  October  and  November. 

25.    GRAY  VIRGALIEU. 

Tree  upright,  tolerably  vigorous,  healthier  than  the  Virga- 
lieu. 

Young  shoots  grayish-brown,  or  brown  with  gray  dots.  A 
good  and  constant  bearer. 

Fruit  medium,  roundish  obovate,  covered  with  rather  light 
or  golden  russet  when  perfectly  ripe. 

Flesh  white,  very  fine-grained,  melting,  buttery. 

Flavor  rich  and  exquisite,  similar  to  the  "  Yirgalieu,"  but 
ripens  a  little  later. 

In  cold  or  unfavorable  soils  or  localities  this  fine  pear  some- 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 
Fig.  250. 


391 


times  blasts,  but  succeeds  well  near  New  York  city  and  south 
of  it. 

26.  BEURRE  DIEL  (Fig.  251). 

Tree  quite  vigorous,  but  twisting  in  its  growth. 

Young  shoots  dark  grayish-brown.  A  good  bearer,  suited 
with  high  culture  and  warm  soil  and  season. 

Fruit  large,  obovate  to  obtuse  pyriform,  uneven,  of  a  green- 
ish-yellow, becoming  deep  yellow,  with  large  spots  of  russet. 

Flesh  yellowish-white,  somewhat  coarse,  half  melting,  and 
sometimes  buttery. 

Flavor  variable  ;  when  well  ripened,  rich,  sugary,  and  excel- 
lent. Ripens  through  October  and  November. 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN, 
rig.  251. 


27.  DUCHESSE  D'ANGOULEME. 

Tree  of  upright,  very  strong  growth,  its  luxuriance  often  re- 
quiring to  be  checked  by  summer  or  root  pruning. 

Young  shoots  light  yellowish-brown.  A  fair  bearer ;  best 
suited  to  warm  soils  and  latitudes. 

Fruit  very  large,  generally  obtuse  pyriform  or  oblong-obo- 
vate  ;  surface  knobby  and  uneven,  greenish -yellow,  with  spots 
and  streaks  of  russet. 

Flesh  yellowish-white,  rather  coarse,  juicy,  melting,  and  but- 
tery. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

Fig.  252. 


393 


Flavor  very  variable  ;  on  quince  stocks,  or  where  the  fruit  is 
perfected,  rich  and  very  good,  but  worthless  on  pear  stocks  at 
the  north.  Ripens  from  October  to  November. 

28.  DIX  (Fig.  253). 

Tree  erect  and  of  moderate  vigor.  . 

Young  shoots  slender,  pale  yellow,  not  coming  into  bearing 
early,  but  hardy  and  productive  when  of  age. 

R2 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN, 

Fig.  253. 


Fruit  large,  oblong  pyriform,  rather  rough,  deep  yellow,  with 
spots  of  russet. 

Flesh  not  very  fine-grained,  but  juicy  and  melting. 
Flavor  rich,  sugary,  and  vinous,  with  a  fine  aroma. 
Ripens  through  October  and  November. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


395 


The  original  tree  of  this  variety  stands  in  the  garden  of  Mrs. 
Dix,  of  Boston,  after  whom  the  fruit  is  named,  and  has  been  in 
bearing  only  about  thirty  years.  It  does  not  bear  well  while 
young,  which  may  be  regarded  as  an  advantage  on  the  whole, 
and  as  indicating  soundness  of  constitution,  and  warranting  the 
expectation  of  a  fruitful  and  prolonged  maturity. 

29.    ONONDAGA. 

Fig.  254. 


Tree  upright,  vigorous. 
Young  shoots  yellowish-green  or  light  olive, 
regular  bearer. 


An  early  and 


396 


AMERICAN    HUME   GARDEN. 


Fruit  large,  variable,  obovate  or  oval  pyriform  ;  golden  yel- 
low when  fully  ripe,  with  russet  dots,  and  sometimes  a  faint 
blush  cheek. 

Flesh  white,  juicy,  and  buttery. 

Flavor  varying ;  at  its  best,  rich,  aromatic,  and  vinous,  or 
slightly  subacid.  Ripens  in  October  and  November. 

30.  OSWEGO. 

Fig.  255. 


Tree  hardy  and  vigorous,  of  rather  spreading  habit. 

Young  shoots  reddish-brown,  with  many  distinct  gray  dots. 
Bears  early  and  abundantly. 

Fruit  medium,  roundish  obovate ;  dull  yellowish-green,  with 
spots  of  thin  russet 

Flesh  white,  melting,  and  juicy. 

Flavor  sprightly,  vinous,  or  almost  sweet.  Ripens  in  Octo- 
ber and  November. 

This  is  a  native  of  Western  New  York,  hardy,  very  produc- 
tive, and  an  early  bearer  either  on  pear  or  quince. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN, 
31.  BEURRE  D'AREMBERG. 

Fig.  256. 


Tree  strong,  upright,  with  young  shoots  of  a  yellowish- 
brown,  with  pale  specks.  An  abundant  and  constant  bearer 
of  fine  fruit,  but  requiring  high  culture  and  summer  pruning, 
with  careful  ripening,  to  perfect  it. 

Fruit  pretty  large,  obovate,  with  much  taper  toward  the 
stem,  becoming  obtuse  pyriform ;  yellow,  with  much  light 
russet. 

Flesh  white,  buttery,  and  melting,  and  quite  juicy. 

Flavor  rich,  sprightly,  and  vinous.  Ripens  from  November 
to  January. 


898 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


32.  GLOUT  MORCEAU. 

Fig.  257. 


Tree  of  fine  pyramidal  growth,  somewhat  spreading. 

Young  shoots  of  a  bluish  or  olive-green.  A  good  bearer, 
suited  with  strong  soil  and  high  culture. 

Fruit  large,  almost  oval  or  obtuse  pyriform,  often  irregular  ; 
greenish-yellow,  with  some  russet  and  many  greenish  russet 
specks. 

Flesh  white,  fine-grained,  melting,  and  buttery. 

Flavor  rich,  perfumed,  dead  sweet.  Ripens  from  December 
to  Februarv. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


399 


33.    PASSE   COLMAR. 

Fig.  258. 


Tree  very  vigorous,  with  long,  straggling,  brownish-yellow 
shoots.  Often  bears  too  abundantly,  and  requires  that  the 
crop  be  thinned.  Needs  high  culture. 

Fruit  pretty  large,  variable,  obtuse  pyriform  or  obovate ; 
pale  yellow  at  maturity,  with  considerable  sprinkling  of  russet. 

Flesh  yellowish- white,  juicy,  and  buttery. 

Flavor,  when  well  ripened,  rich,  sweet,  and  aromatic.  Rip- 
ens from  November  to  January.  * 


400 


AMERICAN    HUME   GARDEN. 


34.    LAWRENCE. 
Fig.  259. 


Tree  of  moderate  vigor  and  somewhat  thorny. 

Young  shoots  light  brown,  rather  slender.  An  abundant 
bearer. 

Fruit  rather  large,  long  obovate,  sometimes  almost  pyriform, 
obtuse  at  the  stem ;  dull  yellowish-green,  with  small  patches 
of  russet  near  the  ends. 

Flesh  yellowish- white,  juicy,  melting,  sometimes  gritty  at 
the  core. 

Flavor,  when  well  raised  and  ripened,  rich  and  sugary. 
Ripens  from  November  throughout  the  winter. 

The  Lawrence  is  a  new  American  pear,  which  originated  at 
Flushing,  Long  Island,  a  few  years  ago,  and  promises  to  be  an 
acquisition,  particularly  for  orchard  culture,  either  on  the  pear 


AMERICAN  HUME  GARDEN. 


401 


or  quince  stock,  affording  a  good  winter  fruit,  not  liable  to 
shrivel  or  decay. 

35.  COLUMBIA. 

Fig.  260. 


Tree  of  upright  strong  growth,  with  brownish-yellow  shoots. 
Bears  largely  and  constantly  ;  fair  marketable  fruit. 

Fruit  rather  large,  regular,  long  obovate,  inclining  to  ob- 
long ;  fine  golden  yellow  at  maturity,  with  gray  dots. 

.Flesh  white,  not  fine-grained,  but  juicy  and  melting. 

Flavor  sweet,  rich,  and  aromatic.  Ripens  through  Decem- 
ber and  into  January. 

This  fruit  originated  upon  the  land  of  Mr.  Andrew  Corsa,  in 
the  lower  part  of  Westchester  county,  New  York.  The  parent 


402  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

tree  has  been  supposed  to  have  sprung  from  a  seed  thrown  away 
by  some  soldier  of  the  British  Hessian  troops,  whose  encamp- 
ment at  one  period  of  the  Revolutionary  war  covered  or  ad- 
joined the  spot  where  it  grew. 


36.  KNIGHT'S  MONARCH. 

Fig.  261. 


Tree  strong,  upright. 

Young  shoots  yellowish  or  light  olive.    An  abundant  bearer. 

Fruit  large,  obovate,  regular;  yellowish-brown,  with  red- 
dish cheek  and  numerous  gray  dots.  A  pear  of  mark  and  ex- 
cellence, but  not  yet  fully  proved  with  us. 

Flesh  yellowish-white,  melting,  and  juicy. 

Flavor  rich,  musky,  and  excellent.  Ripens  through  Jan- 
uary. Requires  very  high  culture. 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN.  4l)3 


37.    CHAUMONTELLE. 

Fig.  202. 


Tree  vigorous,  with  long,  slender,  dark  brown,  flexuous 
shoots.  Requires  high  culture,  and  warm  soil  and  locality. 
At  the  north  succeeds  only  on  the  quince.  A  fair  bearer. 

"Fruit  large,  oblong  obovate,  somewhat  variable,  rather  rough  ; 
yellow,  with  brownish-red  on  the  sunny  side. 

Flesh  melting  and  buttery. 

Flavor  sugary  and  pleasantly  perfumed.  Ripens  from  No- 
vember to  January,  or  later. 


404 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 


38.    WINTER   NELIS. 

Fig.  2(K. 


Tree  hardy  and  thrifty,  the  young  branches  light  olive,  very 
slender  and  diverging.  A  good  and  regular  bearer  of  fair 
fruit. 

Fruit  medium  or  below,  round  obovate ;  yellowish-green 
when  ripe,  with  much  russet. 

Flesh  yellowish- white,  fine-grained,  melting,  and  juicy. 

Flavor  rich,  sugary,  and  aromatic.  The  best  of  winter  pears. 
Ripens  in  December  and  January. 

39.    WINTER   BELL. 

Tree  of  strong,  erect  growth. 

Young  shoots  very  dark  olive.     A  good  or  heavy  bearer. 
Fruit  large  to  very  large,  irregularly  obtuse  or  oval  pyri- 
form  ;  yellowish-green,  with  a  brownish -red  cheek. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


405 


Fig.  264. 


Flesh  hard  and  coarse ;  tender  and  of  a  reddish  color  when 
cooked. 

Flavor  a  rough  sub-acid,  becoming  rich  and  excellent  when 
baked  or  stewed.  See  pages  289,  368. 

The  Vicar  of  Winkfield  may  be  substituted  for  this  if  it  be 
desired  to  have  a  cooking  fruit  which  is  also  sometimes  good 
to  eat  out  of  hand,  or  that  fine  old  French  variety,  the  Catil- 
lac,  may  take  its  place. 


406 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEX. 


40.    EASTER   BEUBRE. 

Fig.  265. 


Tree  thrifty,  erect,  forming  rather  a  compact  and  symmetri- 
cal head.  Bears  well,  but  requires  high  culture. 

Fruit  medium  or  above,  obtuse  obovate ;  greenish,  with  some 
spots  of  brownish  russet. 

Flesh  white,  fine-grained,  melting,  and  buttery. 

Flavor>  when  well  raised  and  ripened,  fine,  sweet,  and  rich. 
Ripens  from  December  to  May. 

The  Easter  Beurre,  in  ungenial  soils  and  climates,  some- 
times disappoints  the  cultivator  by  its  persistent  immaturity. 

It  should  have  good  soil,  culture,  and  climate,  be  carefully 
gathered  and  wintered  as  directed  p.  368,  and  ripened  in  spring. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  407 

THE  PLUM. 

This  is  a  pleasant  and  rather  useful  fruit,  which  every  house- 
keeper wishes  to  possess,  but  can  not  always  secure,  the  varie- 
ties which  are  in  a-  measure  exempt  from  fatal  disease  or  the  de- 
structive assaults  of  insects  being  so  few  that,  in  selecting  this 
fruit,  we  rather  take  what  we  can  get  than  what  we  might  de- 
sire. 

Many  different  varieties  of  this  fruit  are  dried,  and  become 
articles  of  commerce  in  the  form  of  prunes,  prunelles  (that  is, 
prunes  skinned  and  pitted),  and  common  dried  plums. 

Plums  may  be  planted  at  the  distance  of  ten  or  twelve  feet 
each  way ;  and  wherever  they  can  be  raised  successfully,  or  in 
particular  seasons  when  the  fruit  is  perfected,  they  constitute 
a  profitable  market  crop. 

The  trees  should  be  carefully  planted  while  quite  young,  and 
the  head  properly  formed  and  balanced  by  both  winter  and 
summer  pruning,  many  of  the  varieties  having  a  natural  tend- 
ency to  long  growth,  which  carries  the  fruit  out  of  reach  if 
pruning  is  neglected. 

A  strong  loam  or  a  clay  soil  is  thought  best  suited  to  plum- 
trees,  although  they  will  grow  thriftily  even  in  very  light  soils  ; 
and  it  may  be  that  a  heavy  cold  clay  soil  is  rather  specially 
unfavorable  to  the  insects  which  injure  them  than  directly  fa- 
vorable to  the  fruit. 

SELECT   LIST   OF   PLUMS 

Numbered  nearly  in  the  order  in  which  they  will  be  found  to 
ripen  in  any  given  soil  and  latitude. 

The  ordinary  time  of  their  ripening  at  New  York  accompa- 
nies the  figure  and  following  description.  Those  marked  with 
a  star  are  green  or  yellow. 


1.  Ottoman. 
*2.  Hudson  Gage. 

3.  Peach. 

4.  Duane's  Purple. 

5.  Schenectady. 
*6.  M'Laughlin. 
*7.  Green  Gage. 


*8.  Lawrence's  Favorite. 
*9.  Washington. 
10.  Lombard. 
*11.  Bleecker's  Gage. 

12.  Smith's  Orleans. 

13.  Cruger's  Scarlet. 

14.  Columbian  Gage. 


408 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


*15.  Jefferson.  *21.  Coe's  Golden  Drop. 

*16.  Imperial  Gage.  22.  Coe's  Late  Red. 

17.  Purple  Gage.  23.  Blue  Imperatrice. 

18.  Manning's  Long  Blue.  24.  Frost  Gage. 

19.  Dominie  Dull.  25.  Ick worth. 
*20.  Catharine. 

This  list,  though  so  brief,  will,  it  is  believed,  be  found  to  in- 
clude most  of  the  really  fine  and  valuable  plums  we  possess, 
from  the  earliest  to  the  latest  varieties,  but  it  may  easily  be 
doubled  or  tripled,  if  necessary. 

1.  OTTOMAN  (Fig.  266). 

Tree  a  moderate  grower  and  good  bearer.  Young  branches 
somewhat  downy.  Fruit  rather  small ;  dull  yellow,  with  mar- 
blings  of  a  darker  shade,  and  having  a  thin  bloom. 

Flesh  juicy,  sweet,  and  good,  cleaving  to  the  stone.  Ripens 
last  of  July. 

Fig.  267. 


*2.   HUDSON  GAGE   (Fig.  267). 

Tree  of  free  growth  and  a  good  bearer. 

Young  branches  slightly  downy. 

Fruit  medium  ;  yellow,  with  streaks  of  green  under  the  skin, 
with  a  light  bloom. 

Flesh  greenish,  juicy,  melting,  and  of  fine  flavor  ;  almost  free 
from  the  stone.  Ripens  first  of  August. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


409 


3.    PEACH. 


Fig.  268. 


Tree  of  rapid  and  strong 
growth,  and  a  good  bearer. 

Young  branches  of  a  pur- 
ple tint,  smooth. 

Fruit  large  roundish  flat- 
tened ;  purplish -red,  with 
spots  of  light  bronze  or  rus- 
set, nearly  covered  with  a 
blue  bloom. 

Flesh  greenish  -  yellow, 
juicy,  and  sweet ;  not  fine- 
grained ;  a  partial  free- 
stone. Ripens  in  the  first 
half  of  August. 


4.  DUANE'S  PURPLE. 

Tree  of  strong  growth ; 
a  moderate  bearer. 

Young  branches  and 
leaves  gray  and  downy. 

Fruit  large,  light  pur- 
ple or  red,  with  yellow 
specks  and  light  bloom. 
Oblong  or  oval,  one-sided. 

Flesh  amber-colored,  not 
very  juicy,  but  of  fair  qual- 
ity, or  rather  rich ;  clings 
to  the  stone.  Ripens  to- 
ward the  middle  of  Au- 
gust. 

This  early  and  very 
showy  plum  is  sometimes 
rather  acid,  but  in  favora- 
ble seasons  good,  or  first- 
rate. 

It  is  also  valuable  as  a  market  fruit. 

S 


410 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


5.   SCHENECTADY   (Fig.  270). 
Tree  of  fair  growth  and  a  free  bearer. 
Young  branches  smooth  and  rather  slender. 
Fruit  medium,  round-oval ;  deep  purple. 
Flesh  greenish-yellow,  melting,  juicy,  and  rich, 
about  the  middle  of  August. 


Ripens 


Fig.  270. 


Fig.  271. 


*6.  MCLAUGHLIN  (Fig.  271). 

Tree  of  strong,  free  growth,  and  a  good  bearer. 
Young  branches  smooth. 

Fruit  large,  roundish,  russet-yellow,  with  red  or  purplish  tint. 
Flesh  yellow,  somewhat  firm,  juicy,  sweet,  and  rich ;  clings 
to  the  stone.     Jlipens  about  the  middle  of  August. 

*7.   GREEN  GAGE   (Fig.  272). 

Tree  of  slow  growth  and  dwarfish  habit,  but  a  good  bearer. 

Young  branches  smooth,  with  large  shouldered  buds. 

Fruit  medium  or  below,  nearly  round,  yellowish-green  when 
ripe,  with  slight  dottings  or  marblings  of  red. 

Flesh  pale  green,  melting,  juicy,  sprightly,  luscious  ;  a  free- 
stone. Ripens  about  the  middle  of  August.  The  finest  fla- 
vored and  richest  of  plums. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 
Fig.  272.  Fig.  273. 


411 


8.  *  LAWRENCE'S  FAVORITE  (Fig.  273). 

Tree  thrifty  and  upright ;  a  good  bearer. 

Young  branches  downy  and  short  jointed. 

Fruit  pretty  large,  roundish,  somewhat  flattened  ;  dull  yel- 
lowish-green, with  darker  streaks  beneath,  and  covered  with 
bloom,  and  some  reddish  dots  and  mottling  in  the  sun. 

Flesh  greenish,  very  juicy,  melting,  and  rich  ;  a  free-stone 
when  fully  ripe.  Ripens  about  the  middle  of  August. 


*9.   WASHINGTON. 


Fig.  274. 


Tree  of  very  vigorous 
growth  and  a  free  bearer. 

Young  branches  downy. 

Fruit  very  large  round- 
ish oval,  dull  yellow  marbled 
with  green,  and  a  few  red- 
dish dots  in  the  sun. 

Flesh  yellow,  firm,  but 
sweet  and  good  ;  a  free-stone. 
Ripens  after  mid-August. 

This  fine  plum  was  first 
fruited  about  forty  years  ago 
by  Mr.  Wm.  Bolmer,  a  mer- 
chant of  New  York  city,  and 
often  bears  his  name. 


412 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


10.  LOMBARD  (Fig.  275). 

Tree  thrifty  and  an  abundant  bearer,  suited  to  light  soils. 

Young  branches  smooth,  bright  purple. 

Fruit  medium  roundish  oval,  a  little  flattened,  pale  violet- 
red,  with  dots  of  deeper  red,  and 
a  thin  bloom. 

Flesh  yellow,  juicy,  and  pleas- 
ant ;  clings  to  the  stone.  Rip- 
ens from  the  middle  to  the  close 
of  August. 

Fig.  $T5. 


Fig.  276. 


*11.  BLEECKER'S  GAGE  (Fig.  276). 

Tree  a  good  healthy  grower,  and  regular  and  free  bearer. 

Young  branches  downy. 

Fruit  medium  roundish  oval,  yellow  specked  with  white, 
and  having  a  thin  bloom. 

Flesh  yellow,  sweet,  and  excellent ;  almost  a  free  -  stone. 
Ripens  from  the  middle  to  the  close  of  August. 

12.  SMITH'S  ORLEANS  (Fig.  277). 

Tree  extremely  vigorous,  and  a  good  and  constant  bearer  in 
all  soils,  adapting  itself  also  to  varieties  of  climate. 

Young  branches  very  slightly  downy ;  purplish. 

Fruit  large  oval,  inclining  to  oblong ;  purplish-red,  covered 
with  a  deep  blue  bloom. 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 


413 


Flesh  yellow,  somewhat  firm,  but  juicy,  sprightly,  and  vin- 
ous ;  clings  to  the  stone.  Ripens  toward  the  last  of  August. 

This  plum  was  raised  some  thirty-five  years  ago  at  Gowanus, 
Long  Island,  by  Mr.  Smith,  from  a  seed  of  the  "  Orleans,"  one 
of  the  oldest,  if  not  the  very  oldest,  of  our  dessert  plums,  and 
is  named  after  the  originator  and  the  variety  from  which  it 
was  produced.  In  general,  it  is  the  finest  of  the  class  of  vin- 
ous-flavored plums,  but  on  strong  cold  soils  becomes  too  acid  for 
eating  out  of  hand.  Its  large  size  and  productiveness,  with 
its  general  excellence,  and  the  habit  of  hanging  long  on  the 
tree,  will  render  it  always  a  favorite  and  profitable  fruit. 


Fig,  277. 


Fig.  278. 


13.  CRUGER'S  SCARLET  (Fig.  278). 

Tree  of  free  growth,  and  bearing  freely  and  constantly ;  it  is 
superior  for  light  soils,  being  but  little  subject  to  injury  from 
the  curculio. 

Young  branches  downy. 

Fruit  medium  round  oval ;  bright  red  or  lilac,  with  golden 
dots  and  a  thin  bluish  bloom. 

Flesh  orange,  rather  dry,  of  a  mild,  but  lively  and  pleasant 
sweetness.  Ripens  about  the  last  of  August,  and  hangs  long 
on  the  tree. 

It  is  a  valuable  market  fruit. 


414 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 


14.    COLUMBIAN   GAGE. 


Fig.  279. 


Tree  of  strong  growth 
and  spreading  habit ;  a 
very  good  bearer. 

Branches  when  young, 
downy;  stout. 

Fruit  very  large,  near- 
ly globular ;  brownish 
purple,  reddish  in  the 
shade,  with  many  fawn- 
colored  dots  and  much 
blue  bloom. 

Flesh  orange,  not  fine- 
grained, and  somewhat 
dry,  but  a  fine,  rich,  sug- 
ary fruit  when  ripe;  a 
free-stone.  Ripens  about 
the  last  of  August. 


15.    JEFFERSON. 


Fig.  280. 


Tree  vigorous  and  a  good 
bearer. 

Young  branches  almost 
smooth. 

Fruit  large  round  oval ; 
golden  -  yellow,  purplish-red 
on  the  sunny  side,  and  cov- 
ered with  thin  whitish 
bloom. 

Flesh  orange,  very  juicy, 
and  richly  flavored ;  almost  a 
free-stone.  Ripens  about  the 
last  of  August,  and  hangs 
long  on  the  tree. 

This  plum  was  raised  and 
named  by  the  late  Judge 
Buel,  of  Albany. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 


415 


*16.    IMPERIAL   GAGE   (Fig.  281). 

Tree  of  remarkably  luxuriant  growth,  an  abundant  bearer, 
and  peculiarly  adapted  to  light  soils ;  lacking  flavor  on  heavy 
ones. 

Young  branches  very  slightly  downy. 

Fruit  medium  or  above  ;  yellowish-green,  striped  or  marbled 
beneath  the  skin  with  darker  green. 

Flesh  greenish,  melting,  rich,  and  juicy ;  almost  a  free-stone. 
Ripens  about  the  first  of  September. 


Fig.  281. 


Fig.  282. 


17.    PURPLE   GAGE   (Fig.  282). 

Tree  of  moderate  growth,  and  a  good  bearer. 

Young  branches  smooth  and  short-jointed. 

Fruit  medium  roundish  ;  violet,  with  yellow  dots  and  a  fine 
blue  bloom. 

Flesh  yellowish,  rich,  and  sugary,  but  somewhat  dry ;  will 
hang  long  on  the  tree  ;  a  free- stone.  Ripens  through  Septem- 
ber. 

18.  MANNING'S  LONG  BLUE  (Fig.  283). 
Tree  of  moderate  growth,  and  an  abundant  bearer. 
Young  branches  smooth. 


416 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 


Fig.  283. 


Fruit  large  long  oval ;  dark 
purple,  with  a  heavy  blue  bloom. 

Flesh  yellowish,  moderately 
juicy,  sweet,  and  pleasant ;  al- 
most a  free  -  stone.  Ripens 
through  September,  or  later. 

Fig.  284. 


19.  DOMINIE  DULL  (Fig.  284). 

Tree  of  free  but  not  large  growth,  and  a  very  good  bearer. 

Young  branches  smooth. 

.  Fruit  medium  long  oval ;  very  dark  purple,  with  a  light  cov- 
ering of  blue  bloom. 

Flesh  yellow,  juicy,  sweet,  and  good,  becoming  dryer  and 
richer  if  left  hanging  on  the  tree ;  clings  to  the  stone.  Ripens 
in  all  September. 

*20.  CATHARINE  (Fig.  285). 
Tree  of  moderate  growth,  bearing  abundantly. 
Young  branches  smooth  and  somewhat  slender. 
Fruit  medium  obovate  ;  pale  yellow,  with  occasionally  a  red- 
dish cheek,  and  covered  with  a  thin  white  bloom. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


417 


Flesh  yellow,  juicy,  per- 
fumed, and  rich ;  clings  to 
the  stone.  Ripens  toward 
the  last  of  September. 


Fig.  286. 


Fig.  285. 


*21.  COE'S  GOLDEN  DROP  (Fig.  286). 

Tree  of  strong  growth  and  a  fair  bearer,  requiring  warm 
soils  and  locations  if  planted  north  of  latitude  40°. 

Young  branches  smooth. 

Fruit  very  large  oval,  tapering  toward  the  stem  ;  light  green- 
ish-yellow, with  dark  red  spots  on  the  sunny  side. 

Flesh  yellow,  rather  firm,  and  not  fine-grained,  but  sweet, 
rich,  and  sometimes  melting ;  clings  to  the  stone.  Ripens 
about  the  last  of  September,  and  may  be  left  on  the  tree,  or 
gathered  and  kept,  for  some  time. 

22.  COE'S  LATE  RED  (Fig.  287). 
Tree  of  free  growth  and  productive. 
Young  branches  downy. 

Fruit  medium,  round,  or  very  nearly  so ;  purplish  light  red, 
with  a  blue  bloom ;  a  very  desirable  late  fruit  for  garden  or 
orchard  culture. 

S2 


118 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 


Flesh  yellowish,  firm,  juicy,  and 
vinous;  almost  a  free-stone.  Rip- 
ens through  October. 


Fig.  288. 


Fig.  287. 


23.    BLUE   IMPERATRICE   (Fig.  288). 

Tree  of  free  growth  and  quite  productive. 

Young  branches  smooth  and  rather  slender. 

Fruit  medium,  obovate;  dark  purple,  with  a  heavy  blue 
bloom. 

Flesh  greenish-yellow,  not  juicy,  but  rich  and  sweet ;  clings 
to  the  stone.  Ripens  in  October,  and  hangs  until  November. 


Fig.  289. 


24.   FROST  GAGE. 

Tree  thrifty  and  an  abundant  bearer. 

Young  branches  smooth  and  rather 
slender. 

Fruit  small  round-oval ;  deep  purple, 
with  a  fine  rich  bloom. 

Flesh  greenish -yellow,  melting,  rich, 
and  sweet ;  clings  to  the  stone.  Ripens 
in  October,  and  continues  for  some  time. 

This  plum,  like  the  damson,  is  common- 
ly increased  by  its  offshoots.  It  is  not 
only  excellent  in  quality,  but  very  beau- 
tiful upon  the  tree. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  419 

25.    ICKWORTH. 

tig.  290.  Tree  of  moderate  vigor  and 

a  fair  bearer. 

Young  branches  smooth  and 
somewhat  slender. 

Fruit  medium  to  large,  obo- 
vate ;  purple,  with  irregular 
tracings  of  light  fawn  color. 

Flesh  greenish-yellow,  rich, 
juicy,  and  very  good,  becoming 
sugary  with  keeping  ;  clings  to 
the  stone.  Ripens  in  October, 
and  may  be  kept  in  a  dry  room 
for  several  weeks,  or  sometimes 
months,  if  wrapped  singly  and 
carefully  in  paper. 

This  valuable  late  plum  is  a 
somewhat  recent  English  vari- 
ety, usually  called  Ickworth 
Imperatrice ;  but  as  we  have 
already  a  "  Blue  Imperatrice,"  the  latter  name  is  dropped. 

THE  POMEGRANATE. 

The  wild  Pomegranate  of  Europe  and  China  is  of  a  sharp 
acid  flavor,  but  the  cultivated  kinds  are  subacid  or  sweet. 

The  fruit  is  of  ordinary  peach  size  or  larger,  and  contains 
numerous  red  seeds,  and  a  juicy  pulp  of  pleasant  flavor,  cooling 
and  excellent  for  use  in  fevers,  etc.  It  has  a  tough  skin,  but 
its  yellow  color  and  red  cheek,  with  its  large  calyx  eye  or 
crown,  render  it  very  beautiful.  It  grows  well  with  less  care 
than  the  orange-tree  in  the  latitude  of  40°  north,  fruiting 
freely  in  Maryland  and  Virginia,  but  not  ripening  its  crop 
with  certainty  farther  north  than  the  Carolinas. 

The  tree  is  pretty,  having  small  lance-formed  leaves,  with 
reddish  veins.  It  grows  about  twenty  feet  high  at  the  most, 
and  bears  a  profusion  of  showy  scarlet  flowers.  There  is  also 
a  double-flowering  scarlot  variety,  which  is  still  more  orna- 


420 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 


mental,  extensively  cultivated  as  a  conservatory  or  green-house 
plant  in  the  colder  latitudes. 


Fig.  291. 


fl.  Branch  in  blossom. 


b.  Branch  in  fruit. 


It  is  well  suited  with  any  moderately  good  soil,  though  pre- 
ferring a  rather  light  loam.  The  plants  may  be  raised  from 
seeds  sown  as  soon  as  ripened,  or  by  cuttings  or  layers. 

Wherever  it  will  stand  out  during  winter  it  may  form  beau- 
tiful ornamental  hedges,  and  in  some  localities  might  answer 
for  fences. 

THE  QUINCE. 

The  Quince  is  a  rough-flavored,  astringent  fruit,  entirely 
unfit  for  eating  in  the  raw  state,  but  is  a  favorite  for  stewing 
and  making  preserves,  on  account  of  its  fine  fragrance  and 
richness.  Quince-trees  intended  for  bearing  should  be  pruned 
to  a  single  but  generally  low  stem,  and  all  offshoot  growth 
prevented. 

They  may  be  planted  at  a  distance  of  eight  to  twelve  feet 
each  way,  or  between  fruit-trees  of  larger  growth,  and  are  suit- 
ed with  a  rather  moist  soil,  though  with  care  they  will  grow 
in  any. 

There  are  quite  a  number  of  various  kinds  of  quinces,  hav- 
ing the  same  general  character  and  flavor,  but  differing  chiefly 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 


421 


in  the  size  and  fleshiness  of  their  fruit.  The  common  infe- 
rior-fruiting kinds  are  often  used  as  stocks  for  dwarfing  pear- 
trees,  but  a  free-growing  variety,  known  as  the  Angers  Quince, 
and  some  others  of  similar  habit,  are  greatly  superior  for  this 
purpose.  The  Japan  Quince  is  an  ornamental  shrub  bearing 
a  small  green  fragrant,  but  otherwise  useless  fruit. 

Most  of  them  may  be  raised  from  seed,  and  all  are  readily 
increased  from  offshoots,  or  by  hill  or  common  layering,  or  by 
cuttings  planted  in  the  fall  or  early  spring  and  mulched. 

The  Apple  Quince,  Fig.  292  a,  is  a  fine  golden-colored  fruit 
of  rich  appearance  and  superior  quality. 

Fig.  292,  a. 


Apple  Quince. 


The  Pear  Quince,  Fig.  292  b,  though  by  no  means  equal  to 
the  former,  is  extensively  raised  for  market,  and  is  a  fruit  of 
fair  quality,  less  tender  in  cooking  than  the  former,  and  by  no 
means  equal  to  it,  but  both  are  valuable  and  profitable. 


422 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 
Fig.  292,  6. 


Pear  Quince. 

THE  RASPBERRY. 

There  are  numerous  varieties  of  this  esteemed  fruit,  of  di- 
vers colors,  almost  all  being  prolific,  and  most  of  the  red  or 
dark-fruited  kinds  of  good  flavor.  Perhaps  the  Red  Antwerp 
and  the  Fastolff,  which  ripens  rather  later,  are  the  finest,  but 
at  the  north  they  require  covering  in  winter  to  secure  a  crop. 

The  Franconia  is  a  hardy  variety,  which  bears  abundant 
crops  of  fruit,  scarcely,  if  at  all  inferior,  when  fully  ripe,  to  the 
Red  Antwerp,  either  in  size  or  quality,  having  a  firmness  of 
texture  which  renders  it  valuable  for  preserving. 

Knevet's  Giant  is  a  new  English  variety  of  good  reputation 
both  for  quality  and  hardiness.  Some  new  and  promising  va- 
rieties have  also  been  recently  raised  from  seed. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  423 

Fig.  293. 


a.  Red  Antwerp.  6.  Fastolff.  c.  Franconia. 

The  most  common  of  the  dark-fruited  raspberries  is  the 
American  Black,  the  red-cane  variety  which  for  so  many 
years  has  been  extensively  cultivated  for  the  New  York  mar- 
ket. It  is  perfectly  hardy,  and  bears  abundant  crops  of  rather 
small  but  well-flavored,  though  not  first-class  fruit. 

The  double-bearing,  of  which  there  are  several  varieties, 
yield  a  partial  second  crop  of  fruit  of  middling  character  late 
in  the  fall,  just  when  peaches  abound,  and  are  therefore  of  no 
special  importance. 

The  Yellow  Antwerp  bears  a  fine,  large,  thimble-formed 
berry,  and  shows  well  upon  the  table  when  mixed  with  the 
red,  but  it  also  is  tender,  and  has,  in  common  with  its  inferior 
varieties,  a  certain  degree  of  faint  sweetness  in  the  flavor  that 
requires  mingling  with  something  more  acid  to  make  it  agree- 
able. The  Orange,  which  resembles  it,  is  later  in  ripening, 
and  hardier. 

Raspberries  should  stand  in  rows  six  or  eight  feet  wide,  the 
bushes  being  from  two  to  four  feet  apart  in  the  rows,  accord- 
ing to  the  habit  of  the  kind  planted.  The  soil  can  scarcely  be 
made  too  rich  and  warm  for  them. 

They  require  only  winter  pruning,  which  consists  simply 
in  removing  the  old  dead  canes,  and  shortening  the  ends  of  the 
young  shoots,  to  bring  the  rampant  growers  within  bounds  and 
strengthen  the  spring  growth,  upon  which  all  the  fruit  is 
borne.  They  should  be  cut  back  to  about  four  feet  high  if  we 
desire  fine  fruit,  and,  if  at  all  weak,  might  be  pruned  still 
shorter  to  advantage. 


424  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

The  more  moderate-growing  kinds  of  raspberries  are  often 
cultivated  by  tying  up  the  canes  of  each  plant  to  a  single 
stake,  or  to  a  bar  fastened  along  the  row  of  stakes  for  this  pur- 
pose ;  but  the  stronger  growers,  of  which  the  red-cane  named 
above  is  the  most  rampant,  are  usually  inclosed  by  running  a 
single  bar  along  each  side  of  the  row,  with  posts  at  about  six 
feet  apart,  with  cross  braces  at  proper  intervals,  making  a 
frame  about  two  feet  wide.  Within  such  a  frame  the  bearing 
shoots  and  the  young  strong  canes  'of  the  current  season  be- 
come mingled  and  thickened,  and  the  difficulty  of  gathering 
the  fruit  and  the  labor  of  winter  pruning  are  much  increased. 

Let  this  frame  be  made  three  feet  wide  instead  of  two  ;  nail 
two  braces,  an  inch  and  a  half  or  two  inches  apart,  upon  each 
pair  of  posts,  putting  two  such  upon  each  side  of  every  third 
pair.  Let  the  narrow  space  between  the  braces  range  at  a  lev- 
el from  end  to  end  of  the  frame  ;  into  this  space,  and  close  upon 
one  side  of  the  frame,  introduce  a  strip  of  plank  two  or  three 
inches  wide,  put  a  pin  through  it  at  each  end  near  to  the  brace 
to  prevent  it  slipping  out,  and  fit  it  so  at  the  third  pair  of 
posts  that  its  end  will  not  interfere  with  the  next  length. 
Put  in  similar  strips  throughout,  and  you  have  a  sliding  bar 
along  your  frame  ready  for  use.  Suppose  your  canes  trimmed 
for  the  spring  of  1858,  with  the  slide-bar  resting  to  the  west- 
ward of  them ;  you  move  it  across  to  the  eastward,  pressing  the 
canes  before  it  till  they  are  near  or  rest  upon  the  outer  bar ; 
allowing  them  such  "play"  as  you  may  think  they  require, 
fasten  your  sliding  bar  for  the  season  by  pinning  it  to  or  notch- 
ing it  into  the  braces,  or  in  any  way  you  find  convenient ,  and  if 
the  canes  do  not  spread  evenly  along  their  allotted  space,  form 
a  sort  of  rack  for  them  by  tacking  short  pieces  of  lath  here  and 
there.  When  the  young  canes  .shoot  up  from  the  root,  they 
will  naturally  grow  upright  and  apart  from  the  bearing  shoots  ; 
but  if  they  should  incline  toward  them,  a  small  strip  of  board, 
without  sharp  edges,  or  a  light  bean-pole  laid  between  them 
and  resting  its  weight  upon  both,  will  sway  them  a  little  in 
the  opposite  direction,  and  leave  your  fruit  entirely  within 
reach  and  at  command,  and  prepare  the  whole  mass  of  old  cane 
for  being  easily  cut  away  at  the  next  pruning.  It  remains 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  425 

only  to  press  the  bar  westward  in  the  spring  of  1859,  and  so 
alternate  it  from  year  to  year. 

The  chief,  if  not  the  only  objection  to  the  use  of  such  a 
frame  lies  in  the  reduced  amount  of  shade  afforded  to  the  fruit, 
raspberries  and  blackberries  seldom  attaining  their  finest  size 
when  entirely  exposed,  being  also  liable  to  scorch  and  become 
imperfect  in  the  full  sun.  In  certain  latitudes  and  soils  thi  s 
may  become  a  serious  difficulty,  and  wherever  it  is  so  the  stake 
or  single-bar  mode  should  be  adopted. 

THE  STRAWBERRY. 

A  great  number  of  kinds  of  strawberries  are  in  cultivation, 
some  of  them  very  large  ;  others  that  range  generally  of  better 
flavor,  but  more  moderate  size. 

There  are  but  two  distinct  systems  of  cultivation — the  one 
may  be  called  the  hilling,  and  the  other  the  bedding  system. 
In  both  systems,  so  far  as  garden  culture  is  concerned,  the 
deepest  and  warmest  soil  it  affords  should  be  selected,  and  the 
plants  set  out  in  rows  twelve  to  fifteen  inches  wide,  and  a  foot 
apart  in  the  row,  with  a  narrow  walk  between  every  third  and 
fourth,  or  fourth  and  fifth  row. 

In  the  hilling  system  the  beds  thus  formed  are  kept  perfect- 
ly clear  of  weeds,  and  all  runners  from  the  plants  are  cut  off 
as  soon  as  they  start. 

Under  this  course  of  treatment,  the  plants,  instead  of  over- 
running the  bed,  form  large  branched  or  multiplied  crowns, 
from  which,  in  its  season,  the  fruit  is  produced — finest  and  most 
abundantly  in  the  first  full-bearing  year,  afterward  gradually 
declining,  until  in  four  or  five  years,  at  most,  the  beds  must 
be  replaced  by  others.  An  annual  top-dressing  of  compost  is 
applied  after  the  crop  is  gathered,  being  lightly  dug  in  with 
the  spade-fork. 

After  the  spring  hoeing  of  such  beds  they  are  carefully 
mulched  by  laying  straw,  or  litter,  or  tan,  or  moss  between  the 
rows,  so  that  the  fruit,  when  bent  down  by  its  own  weight  or 
from  dashing  rains,  will  not  become  dirty  and  unfit  for  use. 
For  this  purpose,  a  coat  of  cut  straw,  such  as  is  commonly  fed 
to  horses,  etc.,  will  be  found  excellent  and  easily  applied. 


426  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

In  the  bedding  system  less  labor  and  care  are  required,  pro- 
vided they  be  given  at  the  proper  time. 

The  beds  should  be  annually  renewed  in  the  following  man- 
ner : 

At  the  ends  of  the  rows,  when  first  planted,  set  a  small  lo- 
cust, or  chestnut,  or  cedar  stick,  thrust  into  the  ground  to  the 
depth  of  a  foot  or  more.  If  your  bed  is  planted  in  early  spring, 
or  even  at  any  time  before  the  middle  of  June,  and  well  tend- 
ed, being  hoed  often  and  carefully  till  they  begin  to  run,  and 
afterward  hand- weeded  if  requisite,  and  all  runners  that  would 
spread  themselves  into  the  paths  cut  off  or  turned  in,  the  whole 
surface  of  the  bed  will  be  covered  before  winter  with  strong 
young  plants  ;  the  crowns  of  the  parent  plant,  instead  of 
branching  immediately  around  itself,  as  in  the  hilling  system, 
will  have  spread  and  planted  themselves  at  a  distance  in  inde- 
pendent positions.  In  the  following  spring  the  bed  will  yield 
its  crop  in  season,  and  the  mat  of  leaf-growth  upon  it  will 
keep  the  fruit  clean. 

As  soon  as  the  crop  is  gathered,  begin  on  one  side,  and  find 
by  your  mark-sticks  where  the  old  rows  stand,  and  stretch  a 
line  exactly  midway  between  the  first  two  of  them,  from  end 
to  end  of  the  bed  ;  then,  with  a  spade  or  grass-edger,  cut  along 
each  side  of  the  line  so  stretched,  at  two  inches  distance  from 
it,  proceeding  thus  until  you  have  gone  over  the  bed,  dividing 
it  into  four  strips  of  about  eleven  inches  width,  in  which  the 
old-plant  rows  stand,  and  three  strips  of  four  inches,  occupied 
exclusively  by  young  plants.  If,  on  looking  at  it,  you  think 
you  would  prefer  to  have  five  rows  in  your  new  bed  rather  than 
three,  though  the  latter  is  generally  preferable,  make  another 
cut  along  just  outside  of  each  old  outside  row,  and  you  will 
have  a  narrow  rim  of  young  plants  standing  on  each  side  of 
your  bed. 

If  you  wish  plants  for  enlarged  plantings,  you  may  pare  off 
with  your  spade,  an  inch  or  two  deep,  all  the  wide  intervals, 
and  can  choose  out  the  young  plants  for  resetting  as  you  may 
desire,  or  the  plants  on  the  wide  spaces,  instead  of  being  pared 
off,  may  be  dug  under  if  they  are  not  needed  for  use,  thus  re- 
taining them  in  the  bed  as  specific  manure  for  their  successors, 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN.  427 

adding  compost  also  in  the  process.  If  pared  off,  fill  up  the 
spaces  with  leaf-mould  or  compost,  and  either  dig  them  with 
the  spade-fork  or  hook  them  over  deeply  with  a  potato-hook ; 
then  let  the  narrow  strips  of  young  plants  be  well  hoed  and 
perfectly  cleaned  from  weeds  and  grass,  and  you  will  leave  the 
whole  bed  as  clean  and  loose  as  when  it  was  just  planted,  but 
with  a  better  stock  of  plants,  and  these  undisturbed  and  ready 
to  grow  right  on.  Place  your  mark-sticks  at  the  centre  of 
the  ends  of  your  new  rows,  and  keep  the  bed  clean  as  before 
until  the  runners  cover  it  again  preparatory  to  your  next 
crop  ;  and  so  alternate  from  year  to  year,  manuring  with  com- 
post, etc.,  as  may  be  needful,  at  the  annual  renewal  of  the 
bed. 

This  mode,  though  it  may  at  first  appear  complicated,  is 
really  a  simple  and  efficient  process  for  securing  a  clean  and, 
with  proper  precautions,  a  full-cropping  strawberry-bed  at  a 
small  expense  of  labor. 

Dress  your  bed  repeatedly  through  the  summer  and  fall  with 
leached  ashes  and  liquid  manure.  Give  it  a  very  light  winter 
covering  of  straw  or  evergreen.  Let  it  have  at  least  one  lib- 
eral application  of  liquid  manure  at  the  opening  of  spring ; 
and,  if  drought  occur  while  the  plants  are  in  blossom  or  fruit, 
water  them  often  and  heavily  to  such  a  degree  as  will  prevent 
their  becoming  sensible  of  want  of  moisture. 

Upon  beds  so  treated  the  fruit  will  prove  to  be  almost  uni- 
formly fine  ;  plants  seldom  yield  fruit  equaling,  and  never  sur- 
passing, the  product  of  their  second  year,  and  by  this  system 
every  bearing  plant  in  your  bed  comes  within  this  class. 

In  large  operations  for  marketing,  the  strawberry  crop  is 
sometimes  brought  into  the  system  of  farm  rotation,  upon  this 
alternating  or  renewal  principle.  New  acres  are  planted  every 
spring,  at  from  two  to  three  feet  distance  each  way,  the  land 
being  well  manured,  and  furrowed  as  for  corn,  and  the  plants 
set  at  the  crossing  ;  they  are  kept  clean  with  the  cultivator,  or 
with  the  plow  and  corn-harrow,  and  a  little  hoeing  until  they 
begin  to  run.  Before  winter  they  cover  the  ground ;  and,  as 
soon  as  the  crop  is  marketed  in  the  following  spring,  the  whole 
patch  is  plowed  under,  and  a  fall  crop  of  vegetables  planted  on 


428  AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEX. 

the  land.  If  the  plantings  are  made  in  the  fall,  which  is  un- 
desirable, the  patch  runs  over  to  the  spring  of  the  third  year 
for  its  main  crop. 

Difficulty,  and  not  unfrequently  disappointments,  are  met 
with  in  strawberry  culture  from  the  irregular  botanical  pecul- 
iarities of  the  blossoms.  Unless  skilled  in  these,  so  as  to  dis- 
criminate clearly,  it  will  be  well  that  you  should  watch  your 
bed  from  year  to  year,  and  destroy  all  plants  that  bloom,  but 
fail  to  fruit ;  for,  if  this  be  neglected,  they  will,  after  a  while, 
conquer  the  less  vigorous  fruit-bearers,  and  spoil  your  bed. 

Naturally  the  blossoms  of  most  varieties  of  the  strawberry, 
like  those  of  the  apple  and  cherry,  or,  more  strictly,  like  those 
of  the  raspberry,  are  bi-sexual  and  perfect,  combining  stamens 
and  pistils  in  due  proportion  in  the  same  flower ;  but  in  cer- 
tain kinds,  the  flowers,  or  most  of  them,  are  imperfect,  some 
varieties  lacking  pistils,  and  others  being  destitute  of  stamens, 
so  that  fruit  is  not  produced.  The  whole  family  of  HAUTBOIS, 
or  high-stem  strawberries,  known  by  their  pyramidal  heads 
and  crimped  foliage,  is  peculiarly  subject  to  these  defects; 
and,  although  their  fruit  is  of  a  remarkably  fine,  high  flavor, 
they  have  failed  to  make  their  way  into  general  cultivation. 

Peabody's  new  seedling  Hautbois  is  said  to  be  an  exception 
to  the  rule,  having  perfect  flowers,  bearing  well,  and  retaining 
the  peculiar  flavor  of  its  class ;  if  so,  it  will  be  regarded  as  an 
acquisition,  at  least  to  private  gardens. 

Much  has  been  said  and  written  by  way  of  obviating  the 
difficulties  resulting  to  the  private  cultivator  from  these  im- 
perfections. The  best  general  remedy  is  to  throw  away  all 
such  kinds,  or  leave  them  to  professional  fruit-growers  or  spe- 
cial amateurs,  and  obtain  plants  of  perfect -flowered  varieties 
that  may  be  relied  on  alone  for  a  fair  or  abundant  crop.  There 
is  probably  no  kind  with  defective  flowers  so  superior  to  others 
in  the  character  of  its  fruit  as  to  make  it  worthy  of  continued 
cultivation  by  those  whose  general  duties  are  likely  to  inter- 
fere with  any  small  attentions  to  such  a  matter,  or  whose  time 
and  labor  are  deemed  of  value. 

The  following  figures  and  explanations  will  perhaps  aid  in 
obtaining  a  clear  idea  of  the  peculiarities  referred  to. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  429 

STRAWBERRY   BLOSSOMS. 
Fig.  294 


A.  Perfect  or  bi-sexual  blossom,  having  stamens  and  pistils  in  due  proportion. 

B.  Imperfect  staminate  blossom,  having  stamens,  but  lacking  pistils. 

C.  Imperfect  pistillate  blossom,  having  pistils,  but  lacking  stamens. 

A.  Plants  bearing  perfect  or  bi-sexual  flowers,  as  Fig.  294  A, 
are  always  fruitful,  but  more  or  less  so  according  as  they  pro- 
duce their  stamens  and  pistils  in  sufficient  or  insufficient  pro? 
portion  to  one  another.     These  varieties  are  very  commonly, 
but  quite  improperly,  called  staminates,  or  by  another  designa- 
tion, which,  as  applied  to  fertile  plants,  is  simply  absurd. 

B.  Plants  bearing  only  staminate  flowers,  as  Fig.  294  B, 
are  uniformly  and  entirely  fruitless. 

C.  Plants  bearing  pistillate  flowers,  as  Fig.  294  (7,  are  fruit- 
less, unless  in  combination  with  plants  bearing  perfect  flow- 
ers, as  A,  certain  varieties  of  which  have  stamens  in  excess ; 
or  with  plants  bearing  only  staminate  flowers,  as  B9  in  con- 
nection with  which  they  may  be  regarded  as  anomalous  dioe- 
cious varieties  (see  page  76).     In  such  combinations  they  are 
very  fruitful,  and  some  of  the  finest  known  varieties  are  of  this 
class,  or  belong  to  a  subdivision  of  bi-sexual  flowers  in  which 
a  deficient  proportion  of  stamens  is  developed,  and,  consequent- 
ly, when  planted  alone,  they  yield  but  little  fruit,  and  are 
therefore  also  sometimes  erroneously  called  pistillates. 

COMBINATION   OP   CLASSES. 

If  it  is  desired  to  cultivate  such  kinds  on  account  of  special 
qualities  in  the  fruit,  the  end  may  be  readily  secured  by  plant- 
ing your  beds  of  only  three  rows  width,  leaving  a  space  of  three 
feet  between  the  beds,  and  along  the  centre  of  this  space  plant- 
ing a  single  row  of  any  good  perfect-flowered  variety,  which 


430  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

must  be  either  cultivated  upon  the  hilling  system  or  limited 
to  its  own  space  by  running  the  grass-edger,  or  a  substitute  for 
it,  along  each  side  of  it  from  time  to  time,  cutting  off  and  re- 
moving all  runners,  and  maintaining  a  perfect  separation  be- 
tween it  and  the  beds ;  or  the  beds  may  be  made  five  rows 
wide,  the  centre  row  of  each  being  of  a  perfect-flowered  variety, 
and  kept  apart  from  the  others  with  the  grass-edger,  as  above 
directed.  The  blossoms  of  these  will  supply  the  deficiency  of 
fertilizers  in  your  beds,  and  secure  full  crops.  The  following 
kinds  are  of  reputation  in  their  several  classes. 

Either  of  the  varieties  comprised  in  the  first  of  the  follow- 
ing classes  may  be  planted  as  fertilizers  in  combination  with 
those  of  the  second,  but  perhaps  No.  1  or  No.  3  will  prove  as 
desirable  and  successful  as  any  for  the  end  sought. 

CLASS  I. 

Varieties  having  perfect  or  bi-sexual  flowers,  bearing  their 
full  natural  crop  of  fruit  when  planted  alone.  Sometimes 
wrongly  called  staminates. 

NO.  1.    LARGE   EARLY   SCARLET. 
Fig,  295. 


Pretty  large,  round  ovate ;  tender  and  rich.  Color  a  fine 
bright  scarlet.  A  good  bearer,  and  ripens  early. 

This  is  an  improved  sub-variety  of  the  old  or  native  early 
scarlet,  and  very  superior  to  it  in  all  respects. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


431 


NO.  2.  LONGWORTH'S  PROLIFIC. 

Fig.  296. 


Rather  large  ;  dark  crimson ;  roundish ;  flesh  firm,  subacid, 
rich,  and  high  flavored.  It  is  a  regular  and  free  bearer,  car- 
rying its  fruit  well  upon  the  stem.  Ripens  at  medium  season. 


NO.  3.  WILSON'S  ALBANY. 

Fig.  297. 


432  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

Large  to  very  large ;  roundish-conical,  form  varying  with 
the  size,  as  in  the  figures.  Color  dark  ruby.  A  strong  grow- 
er, very  productive,  and  of  excellent  quality.  Ripens  at  me- 
dium season  or  rather  later. 

Wilson's  Albany  is  one  of  the  most  recent  and  valuable  of 
strawberries,  and  is  fast  making  its  way  to  merited  popularity. 

NO.  4.   GENESEE. 


Large,  roundish,  slightly  necked ;  of  good  quality,  and  fine 
appearance.  Color  dark  crimson.  Very  productive,  and  car- 
rying its  fruit  finely  on  the  stem.  Ripens  late. 

To  this  class  may  be  added  Iowa,  Walker's  Seedling,  a  fruit 
of  much  merit,  Ross's  Phoenix,  and  Jenny  Lind,  all  of  which, 
in  suitable  circumstances,  will  be  found  productive  and  of  fine 
quality. 

The  Iowa  has  been  extensively  used  in  combination  as  a  fer- 
tilizer at  the  West. 

C  L  A  S  S  1 1. 

Varieties  having  imperfect  or  uni- sexual  flowers,  being  de- 
ficient in  stamens  or  destitute  of  them  ;  comparatively  unfruit- 
ful alone,  but  bearing  abundantly  in  combination  with  varieties 
having  either  perfect  or  staminate  flowers. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


433 


NO.  5.  BURR'S  NEW  PINE  (Fig.  299). 
Large,  roundish-conical ;  tender,  sweet,  rich,  and  aromatic. 
Color  a  clear  pale  red.     Ripening  early,  and  in  combination 
bearing  fine  perfect  berries. 


Fig.  299. 


Fig.  300. 


NO.  6.    CRIMSON    CONE  (Fig.  300). 

Pretty  large,  long  conical,  with  a  neck,  so  that  the  fruit 
may  be  gathered  without  stems.  Sprightly,  rich,  but  slightly 
acid.  Color  bright  crimson,  iiipens  rather  early. 


NO.  7.  HOVEY'S  SEEDLING. 

Very  large,  round -oval,  or  nearly 
conical ;  firm,  sprightly,  and  in  fa- 
vorable circumstances  rich.  Color 
fine  dark  red.  Iiipens  at  medium 
season  or  rather  later. 

This  fine  strawberry,  raised  in  Bos- 
ton by  the  gentleman  whose  name  it 
bears,  has  attained,  perhaps,  a  greater 
celebrity  than  any  other  fruit  of  its 
class.  In  proper  combination  it  yields 
very  largely. 

T 


Fig.  301. 


434 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 


Fig.  302. 


NO.  8.  M'AVOY'S  SUPERIOR, 

Very  large  ;  irregular  and  variable  ; 
mostly  roundish  sub-conical.  Tender, 
juicy,  rich,  and  high  flavored.  Color 
dark  crimson.  Ripens  at  medium  sea- 
son or  rather  later. 

This  rather  uncouth  fruit  originated 
in  Cincinnatti  about  ten  years  ago,  and 
is  the  largest  of  the  numerous  new  va- 
rieties which  the  West  lias  furnished. 
It  has  a  somewhat  coarse  and  open  core, 
though  otherwise  excellent  in  quality, 
but  is  too  tender  to  bear  transportation 
to  a  distant  market. 


To  this  class  may  be  added  Monroe  Scarlet,  Moyamensing 
Pine,  Burr's  Hudson  (Rival),  and  Jenny's  Seedling. 

All  the  foregoing  varieties  of  the  second  class  are  partially 
fruitful  alone,  but  none  of  them  crop  fully  except  in  combina- 
tion with  fertilizers. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Flowers,  Shrubs,  &c.,  of  various  Classes. — Propagation  of  Flowers,  &c.,  by 
Cuttings,  Layers,  Budding,  and  Grafting. — Soils  and  Composts  for  Flow- 
ers.— Select  Lists  of  Flowers  of  various.  Classes. — Treatment  of  Plants  in 
House  and  Green-house,  Heating  Apparatus,  &c. — Select  Lists  of  hardy 
Shrubs,  Roses,  Climbing  Shrubs,  Evergreens,  Shade-trees,  &c.,  with  Di- 
rections for  their  Propagation  and  Culture. 

FLOWERS,  SHRUBS,  ORNAMENTAL  TREES,  &c. 
THE  variety  of  flowers,  shrubs,  &c.,  is  so  very  large  and  so 
constantly  increasing  that  only  the  most  limited  selection  from 
each  class  can  be  given,  and  of  these  the  prettiest  and  most 
easily  cultivated  kinds,  not  likely  to  disappoint  any  reasona- 
ble expectation,  have  been  preferred  for  the  subjoined  lists, 
none  being  excluded  because  they  are  old,  nor  inserted  merely 
because  they  are  new. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  435 

A  large  proportion  of  each  class,  except  the  bulbous  roots, 
are  natives  of  our  woods,  and  swamps,  and  prairies,  and  mount- 
ains. I  would  gladly  have  introduced  more  of  them,  but  the 
limits  of  my  work  forbade.  A  good  collection  of  American 
trees,  plants,  and  flowers  is  a  desideratum  worthy  even  of  na- 
tional attention  and  effort.  Perhaps  the  city  of  New  York 
will  do  herself  the  honor  of  at  least  a  beginning  in  this  direc- 
tion in  the  arrangement  of  her  new  Central  Park. 

In  the  selections  presented  the  amateur  will  probably  mark 
omissions  which  even  limited  space  might  not  have  induced 
him  to  make,  and  certainly  he  will  be  able  to  make  large  ad- 
ditions to  them  of  admired  plants. 

Previous  to  the  outlay  of  labor  and  care  on  a  plant,  it  is  al- 
most always  desirable  to  be  personally  acquainted  with  it. 
Many  are  found  in  collections  and  catalogues  that  are  of  a  neg- 
ative character,  and  unworthy  of  a  place  in  the  private  flower- 
garden,  however  they  may  interest  the  botanist  or  the  amateur 
collector.  There  are  also  some  of  which  the  name  has  been 
their  only  "  ticket  of  admission,"  as  "  Love  in  a  Mist  /"  and 
others  which,  though  showy,  have  some  capital  defect,  as  the 
offensive  odor  of  the  Cleome,  or  Spider-flower. 

In  general  we  cultivate  flowers  for  their  beauty,  but  tastes 
differ,  and  we  do  not  always  agree  in  the  use  of  terms,  or  de- 
fine them  clearly.  Beauty  may  be  either  simple  or  composite. 
There  is  beauty  of  form  irrespective  of  other  elements,  as  a 
curve — the  rainbow  without  its  colors ;  there  is  beauty  of 
color,  as  the  Tyrian  purple,  or  the  azure  of  a  cloudless  sky; 
there  is  beauty  of  texture,  as  in  the  soft  satin  ;  but  a  flower, 
to  be  beautiful,  must  combine  beauty  of  form,  color,  and  tex- 
ture, and,  lacking  either  of  them,  it  ceases  to  be  beautiful  as  a 
flower.  It  may  be  of  beautiful  form,  as  a  plaster  rose  ;  or  of 
beautiful  color,  as  a  painted  cheek  ;  or  of  exquisite  texture,  as 
the  eider  down  ;  or,  farther,  it  may  also  be  curious  in  its  parts, 
as  the  Fly-trap ;  or  admirable  in  its  arrangement,  as  the 
Pitcher-plant,  but  it  is  not  a  beautiful  flower.  If,  however,  a 
flower  possess  these  elements  of  beauty,  its  beauty  may  be 
heightened  by  the  variation  and  multiplication  of  one  or  more 
of  them.  The  numerous  and  varied  curves  in  the  Cupped 


436  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

Rose  and  the  Meadow  Lily  add  greatly  to  the  beauty  of  the 
first,  and  give  to  the  last  its  peculiar  elegance ;  the  varied 
shades  or  mingled  stripes  of  color  in  the  Tulip  and  the  Carna- 
tion give  them  their  power  to  excite  enthusiastic  admiration, 
and  make  men  "  tulip-fanciers,"  &c.  ;  and  the  varied  texture 
of  the  Iris  and  many  other  flowers  adds  sensibly  to  their 
beauty. 

But  in  choosing  flowers  for  cultivation,  we  take  some  that 
are  not  beautiful,  because  they  are  showy,  and  others  because 
they  are  fragrant,  and  still  others  because  they  come  so  early 
in  the  spring  as  to  aiford  us  the  first  substantial  assurance  of 
its  return,  or  so  late  in  the  fall  as  to  postpone  somewhat  the 
thought  of  winter. 


In  treating  this  ornamental  department  of  gardening,  the  fol- 
lowing divisions  may  be  named  and  defined  : 

BULBS,  among  which  some  tuberous  roots,  as  the  Anemone, 
&c.,  are  commonly  placed,  are  a  class  generally  yielding  flow- 
ers of  fine  color  and  texture,  and  some  of  them  excellent  in  form. 

ANNUALS  are  such  as  either  naturally  blossom  and  bear  seed 
and  die  within  the  compass  of  a  single  year,  or  are  so  classed 
in  northern  climates  because  the  winter  kills  them.  All  these, 
however,  may  be  made,  in  a  sense,  biennials,  by  sowing  them 
late  and  wintering  the  young  plants  for  next  year's  blossoming ; 
while  some  of  them,  as  the  Mignonnette,  become  perennial  if 
propagated  from  cuttings  and  not  permitted  to  ripen  seed. 

BIENNIALS  are  such  as  either  naturally  form  the  young 
strong  plant  one  year,  and  blossom,  bear  seed,  and  die  the 
next,  as  most  garden  vegetables,  red  clover,  Canterbury  Bells, 
&c. ;  or  they  are  those  of  which  the  young  plants  will  bear  the 
cold  of  winter,  but  the  old  plants  will  not,  as  certain  kinds  of 
Pinks,  Snap-dragon,  Sweet  Scabious,  &c.  These  also  may  gen- 
erally be  made  triennial  or  perennial  by  preventing  the  produc- 
tion of  seed,  and  renewing  them  by  cuttings  or  layers. 

PERENNIALS,  commonly  known  as  herbaceous  plants,  are  such 
as  have  not  woody  stems,  and  in  climates  too  cold  for  their 
constitution  die  down  in  the  winter,  but  spring  up  every  year 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  437 

from  the  same  root.  Thus  the  Chriseis  Crocea,  formerly  Ess- 
choltzia  Californica,  is  ranked  in  New  York  as  an  annual,  but 
in  Southern  California  it  is  herbaceous  and  perennial. 

GREEN-HOUSE  PLANTS,  sometimes  also  called  pot  plants,  are 
such  as  in  northern  climates  require  more  or  less  of  artificial 
heat  and  house  protection  to  carry  them  through  the  winter, 
and,  in  general,  a  return  for  this  trouble  and  care  is  sought  in 
the  flowers  they  are  made  to  yield  at  that  ungenial  season. 

SHRUBS  are  the  smaller  class  of  woody  plants,  some  of  them 
valued  only  for  their  foliage,  as  the  Box  ;  others  for  their  flow- 
ers, as  the  Rose  ;  and  still  others,  as  the  Cydonia  Japonica,  both 
for  flowers  and  foliage. 

CLIMBERS,  to  whatever  class  they  may  belong,  climb  either  by 
winding,  as  Morning-glory  and  the  Bitter-sweet ;  or  by  cling- 
ing with  their  tendrils,  as  the  Pea  and  the  Grape-vine  ;  or  by 
striking  their  roots  all  along  as  they  run,  even  into  a  brick 
wall,  as  the  Virginia  Creeper  and  jthe  Trumpet-flower.  Those 
climbers  which  are  of  woody  growth  are  really  shrubs,  i.  e., 
small  trees,  of  peculiar  habit.  We  have  therefore  called  them 
Climbing  Shrubs. 

EVERGREENS  are  such  shrubs  or  trees  as  do  not  lose  their 
leaves  in  winter,  whose  greenness  cheers  that  season  and  links 
it  with  its  kindlier  sisters,  though  sometimes,  in  dense  masses, 
deepening  its  gloom.  The  lowly  Epigaia,  or  trailing  Arbutus, 
and  the  tall-growing  hemlock,  are  of  these. 

SHADE  TREES  are  either  fruit  or  forest  trees  when  used  for 
the  purpose  of  shade,  but  generally  the  latter  only  are  intended. 

ORNAMENTAL  TREES  AND  SHRUBS  are  such  as  may  be  chosen 
from  either  of  the  foregoing  classes  to  beautify  and  form  part 
of  the  surroundings  of  a  home. 

PROPAGATION  OF  FLOWERS,  SHRUBS,  &c. 
BY  CUTTINGS. 

GREEN-HOUSE  AND   HERBACEOUS  CUTTINGS. 

Cuttings  of  woody  plants  of  small  growth,  as  green-house 
and  ordinary  herbaceous  plants,  are  made  in  the  same  manner 
as  those  of  large  woody  growth,  except  that  they  are  usually  in 
leaf  when  the  cuttings  are  taken  off.  See  the  following  figures. 


438 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 
Fig.  303. 


a.  Common  cutting  of  small  woody  growth. 

6.  A  slip  cutting  of  the  same,  with  the  butt  untrimmed. 

c.  A  slip  cutting  trimmed  for  planting. 

d.  A  common  herbaceous  cutting. 

e.  A  cutting  of  Carnation  or  Picotee. 

/.  A  cutting  of  the  smaller,  or  garden  Pink,  made  with  the  knife. 
g.  A  pink  "  piping,"  made  by  drawing  out,  without  using  the  knife. 
h.  The  pipe  or  tube  from  which  the  piping  has  been  drawn. 


The  Carnation  and  Picotee  are  commonly  layered,  but  cut- 
tings may  be  made,  as  Fig.  e,  and  are  to  be  preferred.  The 
smaller,  or  garden  Pink,  is  usually  raised  from  cuttings,  as  Fig. 
/,  but  these  are  also  often  made  without  the  knife  by  simply 
pulling  out  a  sufficient  length  of  the  heart  growth,  while  the 
lower  or  stem  end  of  the  shoot  is  held  firmly  between  the  thumb 
and  finger.  If  dexterously  done,  the  cutting  will  separate  pre- 
cisely at  the  joint,  and  is  at  once  ready  for  planting,  Fig.  g. 
This  is  called  "  a  piping,"  because,  when  drawn  out,  it  leaves  a 
pipe  or  tube  formed  by  the  bases  of  the  two  next  lower  leaves 
which  enfolded  it,  Fig.  h.  Branch  cuttings  of  all  kinds  may 
usually  be  planted  at  a  depth  equal  to  one  half  of  their  length, 
but  cuttings  of  Carnations,  Pinks,  and  a  few  other  varieties  of 
peculiar  growth,  are  planted  so  as  to  bring  the  bases  of  their 
untrimmed  leaves  just  into  the  surface  of  the  earth.  A  very 
little  experience  and  observation  will  enable  the  cultivator  to 
judge  at  once  of  the  proper  depths  from  the  size  of  the  cutting 
and  the  character  of  the  particular  variety.  Cuttings  that  are 
planted  in  a  sloping  position  are  thought  to  root  more  readily 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  439 

than  upright  ones.  When  planted  in  pots,  they  should  be 
placed  around  the  inside  of  the  pot,. and  in  contact  with  it,  in 
which  position  they  root  more  certainly. 

All  cuttings  take  root  more  promptly  and  freely  if  so  arranged 
that  the  soil  in  which  they  are  planted  becomes  warm,  which 
is  effected  by  placing  the  bed  over  a  flue,  or  by  preparing  a  hot 
bed  for  the  purpose.  If,  therefore,  a  green-house  is  built  and 
heated  as  shown  page. 47 5,  a  bed  for  cuttings  may  be  made 
immediately  above  the  boiler,  so  arranged  as  that  the  steam 
will  pass  under  its  whole  length. 

Very  fleshy  cuttings,  as  the  strong-growing  scarlet  Gerani- 
ums, the  Cacti,  and  some  others,  are  benefited  by  having  their 
cut  parts  dried  a  little  before  planting.  They  are  akin  to  air- 
plants,  and  may  be  left  sometimes  for  weeks  upon  the  surface, 
and  still  live.  These  should  never  be  covered  closely,  but  the 
harder  and  more  woody  cuttings,  particularly  those  having  fine 
foliage,  as  the  Fabiana,  the  Myrtle,  &c.,  are  greatly  benefited  by 
covering  them  with  glass,  to  prevent  rapid  evaporation,  lifting 
the  cover  occasionally  so  as  to  afford  air,  and,  if  mouldiness  be 
indicated  upon  the  cuttings,  tilt  or  raise  it  at  the  edge,  that 
they  may  have  a  constant  supply.  All  plant  cuttings  should 
be  potted  singly  as  soon  as  the  young  roots  are  well  formed ; 
if  this  is  neglected,  they  must  be  carefully  trimmed  at  potting, 
as  directed  for  larger  trees.  Shade  and  warmth,  and  careful 
watering  for  a  few  days  after  removal,  until  they  fairly  re- 
start, will  be  found  essential  to  all  cuttings  or  plants. 

BY  LAYERING. 

Almost  all  ornamental  shrubs,  &c.,  may  be  increased  by  lay- 
ers, as  noted  under  each.  In  general,  the  layering  is  performed 
as  directed  page  199,  but  there  are  some  to  which  peculiar 
modes  are  applicable,  as  Chinese  layering,  American  span  lay- 
ering, &c. 

These  latter  processes  are  of  comparatively  recent  use  with 
us,  and  have  but  a  limited  range  of  adaptation.  All  very  free- 
rooting  varieties,  whether  runners  or  otherwise,  may  be  in- 
creased by  the  Chinese  mode ;  but  American  span  layering  is 
adapted  only  to  luxuriant  runners,  as  grape-vines,  Wistaria,  &c. 


440  AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 

CHINESE  LAYERING. 

Fte 304-  In  the  process  known  by  this 

name,  a  young  shoot  is  pegged 
down  flat  at  its  length,  and 
covered  about  two  inches  deep, 
each  bud  being  expected  to 
form  a  plant,  which  they  often 
fail  to  do,  though  perhaps  this 
defect  might  be  remedied  by 
pretty  tight  constriction  with 
cord  or  wire  between  the  joints. 

AMERICAN   SPAN   LAYERING. 

so5-  This  is  a   some- 

what new  process, 
first  practiced,  so  far 
as  he  is  aware,  by 
the  author,  though 
he  has  learned  re- 
cently that  it  has 
also  been  used  by  others,  and  is  always  found  completely  suc- 
cessful. It  is  performed  by  pegging  into  the  ground  a  single 
joint  every  foot  or  eighteen  inches,  curving  the  shoot  upward 
between  each  two  layers.  Each  layered  joint  may  be  tongued 
or  not,  according  to  the  kind  of  plant  under  treatment.  This 
mode  is  applicable  only  to  running  plants,  but  ten  or  a  dozen 
layers  may  be  readily  made  by  it  from  a  single  pretty  long 
shoot  of  such  as  are  suitable. 

HERBACEOUS  HILL   LAYERING. 

Hill  layering,  so  far  as  applicable  to  fruit-trees  and  woody 
plants  in  general,  has  been  described  page  200  ;  but  this  mode 
is  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  propagation  of  those  plants,  as 
Pinks,  &c.,  which  do  not  make  long  shoots,  or  which  require 
tongueing,  but  are  too  brittle  to  bear  bending.  In  these  cases 
a  dished  hill  of  good  earth  is  made  entirely  around  the  plant, 
and  the  tongue  of  the  layer  is  made  on  the  under  side  of  the 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN.  441 

Fis- 3M.  sprout,  which,  being  strained  off  a 

very  little  from  the  plant,  is  bent 
and  pinned  down  just  enough  to 
open  the  slit  and  set  the  tongue 
bud  fairly  in  the  soil,  and  allow 
of  covering  it  about  one  inch  and 
a  half  deep.  See  Figure.  The 
hill  should  be  carefully  mulched, 
and  watered  regularly  at  evening 
until  the  layers  are  rooted. 

BUDDING  AND   GRAFTING. 

Various  fancy  forest  trees  and  shrubs  are  budded  or  grafted, 
grafting  being  generally  preferred  for  these,  perhaps  without 
good  reason.  For  the  mode  of  grafting,  see  page  229. 

The  lighter-growing  kinds  of  Cactus  are  often  grafted  upon, 
or  rather  planted  in  those  of  stronger  growth,  by  a  simple  yet 
curious  and  successful  process.  Stocks  of  suitable  strength 
are  raised  from  cuttings,  which  root  readily  if  planted  in  sand 
after  being  cut  a  day  or  two.  The  graft  is  dressed  to  a  thin 
but  quite  short  wedge ;  the  stock  is  cut  off,  and  the  graft 
wedge  set  into  the  heart  of  it,  in  a  slit  made  with  the  point  of 
a  knife,  or  a  bone  or  wooden  wedge,  the  sides  of  the  stock  re- 
maining uncleft,  and,  instead  of  binding,  a  small  wooden  skew- 
er, or  a  long,  slim  thorn  from  a  large  cactus  is  then  passed 
through  the  stock  and  graft,  pinning  the  latter  to  its  place.  In 
a  short  time  the  graft  (really  the  cutting)  throws  its  roots 
downward  through  the  substance  of  the  stock,  and  grows  finely. 

The  operation  of  budding  ornamental  trees,  as  well  as  or- 
anges, &c.,  among  green-house  plants,  is  performed  in  the  com- 
mon mode,  described  page  220.  Roses  also  are  budded  pre- 
cisely as  fruit-trees,  except  that  some  extra  care  is  required  in 
the  operation,  on  account  of  their  comparative  smallness,  their 
thorniness,  and  the  softer  and  more  stringy  nature  of  their  bark. 

All  the  autumnal  and  ever-blooming  classes  of  roses,  if 
budded  early  in  the  summer,  and  cut  down  at  the  time  of  bud- 
ding to  within  four  or  six  inches  of  the  bud,  will  grow  and 
blossom  in  the  course  of  the  same  season. 

T2 


442  AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN. 

SOILS  FOR  FLOWER  COMPOSTS,  &c. 

GOOD  LOAM,  ampng  the  cultivators  of  flowers,  means  such  as  is 
of  a  rather  dull  yellow,  not  reddish,  and,  when  moderately  dry, 
cutting  with  a  certain  cheesy  softness,  yet  friable  when  thrown 
up  with  the  spade,  breaking  into  rather  coarse  granules,  a  lump, 
when  broken,  showing  the  same  structure,  yet  not  clayey  or  li- 
able to  bake  hard  after  rain.  The  finest,  sweetest  pasture 
grows  on  such  soil.  If,  however,  your  loam  is  more  sandy,  re- 
duce the  sand  or  peat  in  the  compost  you  prepare  with  it. 

LEAF-MOULD,  as  its  name  imports,  is  the  black  earth  formed 
in  woods,  and  along  fences,  and  in  corners  by  the  annual  decay 
of  fallen  leaves.  In  general  they  should  be  left  to  enrich  the 
forest  trees  from  which  they  fell,  but  when  decayed  the  mould 
forms  a  most  valuable  element  of  flower  composts. 

PEAT  is  vegetable  matter  accumulated  upon  an  uncultivated 
level  surface  by  the  long-continued  growth  of  successive  sea- 
sons upon  the  decaying  product  of  their  predecessors,  in  which 
state  it  has  a  mixture  of  sand ;  or  it  is  the  mass  of  vegetable 
matter  found  in  bog  meadows  and  swamps,  so  compacted  and 
drained  as  to  be  readily  cut  into  blocks  and  dried  for  fuel.  In 
its  wet  state  it  is  known  as  swamp  muck. 

Koad-wash  is  the  deposit  of  sand  and  gravel  made  by  the 
running  road-gutters  wherever  the  water  may  find  a  place  to 
rest  long  enough  to  permit  its  settling,  and  is  valuable  upon 
all  strong  soil,  and  especially  so  for  flower  composts. 

Sand  may  either  be  road- wash,  where  it  is  sufficiently  free 
from  earth,  or  it  may  be  common  white  or  silver  sand,  or  ordi- 
nary clean,  sharp  mortar  sand,  not  too  coarse. 

In  preparing  composts  for  flowers,  the  loam  and  sand  or  road- 
wash  may  be  fresh  from  the  surface,  but  all  manures  used 
should  be  from  one  to  two  years  old,  and  thoroughly  reduced  by 
turning,  chopping,  and  mixing. 

The  manure  of  spent  hot  beds  is  generally  used  for  this  pur- 
pose, but  in  composts  for.  certain  kinds  of  flowers,  sheep  ma- 
nure, and  blood,  or  other  animal  matter,  are  supposed  to  be  val- 
uable. 

Peat  and  swamp  muck  for  these  should  also  be  sweetened 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN.  443 

by  exposure  and  frequent  turning  over  for  a  year  Or  two  before 
using  them. 

„  A  pretty  deep  and  rather  sandy  loam,  moderately  rich,  will 
suit  almost  every  cultivated  variety  of  hardy  flower,  shrub,  and 
tree.  A  few  exceptional  cases  may  be  found. 

FLOWER  COMPOSTS. 

Composts  are  prepared  for  particular  plants  in  order  to  raise 
them  in  perfection  where  the  natural  soil  is  unfavorable,  or  to 
produce  some  special  effect  upon  the  plant  or  flower ;  and  inas- 
much as  this  is  often  attempted  upon  a  mere  notion,  composts 
become  as  numerous  as  fancy  cultivators. 

The  following,  it  is  believed,  will  meet  all  ordinary  demands. 

NO.  1.      PLANT  COMPOST. 

2  parts  of  good  surface  loam. 

2        "       leaf-mould  or  peat. 

2        "       spent  hot  bed  or  stable  manure,  perfectly  rotted. 

1        "       road-wash  or  sharp  sand. 

Let  these  materials  be  thoroughly  chopped  and  mixed  to- 
gether, and  if  the  manure  was  properly  rotted  beforehand,  the 
compost  may  be  used  in  a  week,  being  again  chopped  and  mix- 
ed in  the  preparatory  process.  Almost  every  variety  of  plant 
will  thrive  in  it. 

NO.  2.      LAYER   AND    CUTTINGS  COMPOST. 

2  parts  of  good  loam. 

2       "       leaf-mould  or  peat. 

2       "      rotted  manure. 

1        "      road-wash  or  sharp  sand,  screened. 

1        "       charcoal  dust. 

To  be  chopped  and  mixed  as  directed  for  No.  1. 
Almost  any  cutting  or  layer  will  root  and  grow  in  it.  A 
few  species  of  hard- wood  green-house  plants  require  for  their 
successful  propagation  by  cuttings  that  these  be  set  under  a 
bell-glass  in  almost  entirely  clear  sand.  Rather  coarse  white 
or  silver  sand,  fine  road-wash,  or  ordinary  sharp  bank-sand  may 
be  used.  The  latter  particularly,  if  much  colored  with  loam, 
should  be  washed  before  use,  and  at  discretion  one  twentieth 


444  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

part  of  leaf-mould  may  be  added  to  it,  and  the  same  quantity 
of  fine  charcoal -dust.  As  soon  as  cuttings  so  planted  take  root, 
they  should  be  potted,  the  sand  being  shaken  clean  from  their 
roots  in  the  process. 

NO.  3.      BULBOUS  ROOT  COMPOST. 

4  parts  of  leaf-mould  or  peat. 
4       "       well-rotted  cow  manure. 
4       "       road-wash  or  clean  sand. 
2        "       good  surface  loam. 
1        "       poudrette. 

Let  it  be  thoroughly  mixed  a  week  or  more  before  using  it. 
See  Tulips,  page  449. 

NO.  4.      FLOWER   COMPOST. 

4  parts  of  good  loam. 
4       "       leaf-mould  or  decayed  wood. 
4       "       perfectly  rotted  cow  or  sheep  manure,  or  slaugh- 
ter-house manure. 
2       "       road- wash  or  sharp  sand. 

1  "       poudrette. 

\  "  old  wall-plaster,  or  J  part  fresh-slaked  lime. 
Add  salt  in  the  proportion  of  a  pint  to  ten  bushels  of  the 
compost.  It  should  be  prepared  a  month  or  two  beforehand  by 
repeated  and  thorough  turning  and  mixing.  It  is  calculated 
for  any  variety  of  fancy  flower  which  it  is  desired  to  raise  of 
extra  quality. 

NO.  5.      ROSE   COMPOST. 

4  parts  of  good  loam. 

4       "       well-rotted  manure  from  spent  hot  bed  or  the 

barn-yard. 
4       "       peat. 

2  "       poudrette. 

1        "       road- wash  or  sand. 

1        "       guano  carefully  sifted. 

All  roses  will  be  found  to  grow  and  blossom  finely  in  this 
compost,  prepared  by  thorough  chopping  and  mixing  a  few 
weeks  or  months  before  it  is  used. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  445 


FLOWERS. 

In  describing  the  various  classes  of  flowers,  &c.,  those  only 
have  been  called  hardy  of  which,  at  least,  young  strong  plants 
will  bear  an  ordinary  New  York  winter  with  a  very  slight  pro- 
tection, or  without  any.  All  others  should  be  sown  or  plant- 
ed in  spring,  and  where  necessary,  as  noted,  must  be  started  in 
the  house  or  a  hot  bed. 

TRANSPLANTING   FLOWERS. 

All  bulbous  roots  that  it  is  found  necessary  or  desirable  to 
transplant  should  be  taken  up  as  soon  after  flowering  as  the 
plant  leaves  begin  to  die,  and  either  replanted  or  dried  and 
kept  for  fall  planting ;  and  all  those  which  it  is  not  intended 
to  transplant  should  be  perfectly  cleared  of  grass  and  other 
weeds  in  the  fall,  receiving  such  dressing  as  they  may  require, 
and  thus  be  prepared  for  their  early  spring  movement. 

Annual  and  biennial  flowers,  while  small,  may  be  transplant- 
ed by  removing  them  with  the  point  of  the  garden  trowel,  or  with 
a  piece  of  shingle,  taking  a  little  earth  with  them ;  but  if  it  is 
found  desirable  to  transplant  them  when  large,  a  spade,  or  two 
trowels,  or  the  flower  transplanter  must  be  used.  See  p.  52. 

Perennials  from  seed  or  cuttings  may  be  removed  in  the  same 
manner  at  any  season  ;  but  their  large  roots  should  be  divided, 
if  at  all,  soon  after  they  cease  flowering,  or  in  the  spring  just 
after  the  growth  of  the  season  has  commenced,  the  plants  being 
watered  and  shaded,  if  necessary,  until  they  re-start.  Green- 
house plants  may  be  removed  at  any  time,  but  the  main  annual 
pruning  and  repotting  should  be  done  in  August  or  September. 

Those  who  cultivate  only  out-door  flowers  are  sometimes 
perplexed  by  the  difficulty  of  so  grouping  them  as  to  have  a 
succession  of  various  blossoms  sufficiently  numerous  to  make  a 
show  in  the  garden  or  furnish  a  bouquet  for  the  parlor.  This 
may  be  secured  by  setting  out,  in  spring,  Verbenas  in  their 
numerous  varieties,  wintered  for  this  purpose,  with  the  double 
Feverfew,  or  Lafayette  Daisy,  the  Salvia  Splendens,  Gaillardia 
Picta,  Petunias,  Sweet  Alyssum  and  Mignonnette,  either  win- 
tered or  raised  early  in  hot  bed,  with  some  other  kinds  that 


446 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


bloom  freely  and  constantly.  These,  added  to  a  small  number 
of  well-managed  autumnal  and  ever-blooming  roses,  and  the 
ordinary  annuals,  particularly  Portulacca  and  Schizanthus,  and 
some  biennials,  as  Sweet  Scabious  and  Larkspurs,  will  make  the 
garden  perpetually  gay. 

As  a  farther  aid  to  this  end,  I  have  inserted  the  following 
list  of  trees  and  shrubs,  perennials  and  biennials,  bulbous  and 
tuberous  roots,  &c.,  which,  with  ordinary  treatment  in  the  open 
ground,  and  in  similar  soils  and  latitudes,  nearly  correspond  in 
their  times  of  blossoming,  and  follow  and  interlink  with  one 
another  almost  in  the  order  in  which  they  are  given. 


TREES   AND   SHRUBS. 

Mezereum. 

Scarlet  Quince  and  ) 
Forsythia. 

Magnolias. 

Flowering  Almond  ) 
and  Currant.  J 

Spiraea  Prunifolia  ^ 
and  Deutzia  Graci-  > 
lis.  J 

Lilacs. 

Rhododendron  and  ) 
May  Apple.  > 

Wistaria. 

Weigela. 

Spiraea  Reevesii. 

Sweet-scented  Shrub  ^ 
and  Snow-ball. 

Double  Scarlet  Haw-  i 
thorn    and   Labur- 
num. 

Syringa  and  Deutzia  ) 
Scabra.  > 

Laurel. 

f 

Roses  in  varieties  run-  I 
ning  through  to<j 
winter. 


LIST. 

PERENNIALS  AND  BIEN- 
NIALS. 

Blood-root. 
Columbines. 
Dielytra  and  Dwarf  Iris. 
Phlox  Stolonifera,  &c. 

Primroses,       Violets,  ) 
and  Pansies.  ) 

American  Cowslip. 
Lily  of  the  Valley. 

Tree  Peony. 
Large  Iris. 
Phlox  Maculata. 


Honesty. 
Yellow  Day  Lily 


Baptisia. 

China  Pink. 

Canterbury        Bells, 
Chinese  and  other 
Larkspurs,      Sweet  [ 
William,       Double  [ 
Feverfew,  and  Gail-  j 
lardia  Picta. 


BULBS,  TUBERS,  &C. 

Snowdrop. 
Crocus. 

Persian  Iris,  &c. 
Daffodil. 

Crown  Imperial. 

Hyacinth. 

Star  of  Bethlehem. 

Jonquile  Narcissus,  &c. 

Tulips. 

Anemone. 


(  Ranunculus  and  Spi- 
l      raca  Filipendula. 


Crimson  Peony. 
White  Sweet  Peony,  &c. 

{White  Lily,  and  ear- 
ly -  sown  Annual 
Flowers,  in  varie- 
ties to  run  to  win- 
ter. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


447 


TREES   AND   SHRUBS. 

Climbing  Honeysuck- 
les. 


Milk  Vine.  } 

White  Jasmine. 

Clematis  and  Passion  ( 

Flower.      ,TL.  "j 

Trumpet  Creeper. 
Rose  of  Sharon. 


PERENNIALS  AND  BIEN- 
NIALS. 

Verbenas,  Petunias,  ) 
to  continue  through  >• 
the  season.  ) 

Pinks,  Picotees,  &c. 

Veronica,  Fraxinella,  ) 
and  Snapdragon.  > 

Blue  and  Scarlet  \ 
Sage,  Mourning  >• 
Bride,  &c.  ) 

Phlox  Speciosa,  &c.,  \ 
and  White  Day'J- 
Lily.  ) 

Hollyhocks. 

• 
Virginian  Dragon-head. 

Fringed  Gentian. 
Artemisias  in  varieties 
till  winter. 


BULBS,  TUBERS,  &C. 


Commelina. 


Jacobean  Lily. 
Mexican  Tiger  Flower. 

Gladiolus. 

Four  o'Clocks. 
(  Dahlias  in  varieties  to 
•]      run  through  to  win- 
(      tor. 

<  Double        Perennial 

<  Sun-flower. 
Tuberose. 


HARDY  BULBOUS.ROOTED  FLOWERS. 
SPRING  FLOWERING. 


TEN    KINDS. 


1.  Crocus,  White,  Blue,  Yellow,  &c.    Among  the  very  earli- 
est flowers,  and  always  beautiful. 

2.  Crown  Imperial,  Frittelaria  Imperialis.     A  fine,  early, 
showy  flower,  of  lily-like  character,  but  having  an  unpleasant 
odor. 

3.  Daffodil.     The  well-known  large  double  yellow  Narcis- 
sus ;  among  the  first  blossoms  of  the  season. 

4.  Hyacinth.     See  below. 

5.  Iris,  Persian,  &c.    The  varieties  are  numerous  and  beau- 
tiful ;  chiefly  of  various  shades  of  blue,  though  some  are  pure 
white,  and  others  of  a  fine  golden  yellow.     The  bulbous  vari- 
eties should  be  taken  up  soon  after  flowering,  and  replanted  in 
the  fall,  as  they  are  apt  to  rot  if  left  in  the  ground. 

6.  /Lily,  White,  Tiger,  &c.,  &c.     Liliuin   Candidum,  &c. 
Many  and  beautiful  varieties,  well  known,  both  wild  and  cul- 
tivated. 


448  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

7.  Narcissus,  White  or  the  Poets',  &c.     A  simple  white 
flower  with  a  small  edged  cup  in  its  centre.     The  Jonquile 
Narcissus  is  yellow,  and  some  of  the  varieties  peculiar.     Al- 
most all  are  pretty  and  fragrant,  whether  single  or  double. 

8.  Snow-drop,  Galanthus  Nivalis.     A  simple  white  flower, 
of  drooping  ear-drop  form,  striped  inside  with  green.     It  is 
the  earliest  blossom  of  spring,  and  deserves  extended  cultiva- 
tion. 

9.  Star  of  Bethlehem,  Ornithogalum  Umbellatum.    Anoth- 
er early  simple  white  flower  streaked  with  green,  blooming  in 
pretty  large  panicles.     Common,  but  pretty  ;  sometimes  wild. 

10.  Tulip.     See  below. 

All  hardy  bulbs  should  be  planted  in  the  fall,  in  light  rich 
soil,  rather  sandy  than  otherwise,  at  from  two  to  six  inches 
apart,  according  to  their  size,  and  from  two  to  four  inches  deep ; 
and  if  planted  in  beds,  let  the  surface  be  rounded  slightly  to 
throw  off  excess  of  water.  With  the  exception  of  the  sweet 
Jonquil,  which  requires  a  little  care,  those  named  above  are  as 
hardy  and  as  easily  raised  as  onions,  and  their  more  general 
cultivation  is  desirable. 

HYACINTHS  may  be  planted  singly  or  in  groups  or  beds. 
If  a  bed  is  made  it  should  be  planted  in  October  or  early  in 
November,  setting  the  bulbs  from  six  to  eight  inches  apart, 
and  full  four  inches  deep.  With  care  in  respect  to  the  taste- 
ful arrangement  of  the  different  colors  and  the  various  shades 
of  each,  and  attention  to  the  natural  varieties  of  height,  which 
latter  will  be  affected  by  the  strength  or  weakness  of  the  par- 
ticular root,  a  fine  effect  may  be  produced  independent  of  the 
merits  of  the  individual  flowers.  That  no  mistake  may  occur, 
the  arrangement  should  first  be  made  on  paper,  and  the  dia- 
gram preserved  for  correction,  if  necessary,  when  they  bloom. 

Hyacinths  will  generally  bear  the  winter  well  if  planted  at 
proper  depth,  yet  some  of  the  finer  kinds,  particularly  the 
white  ones,  are  of  delicate  constitution,  and  will  more  certain- 
ly keep  and  bloom  strongly  if  the  bed  is  annually  mulched  a 
little  for  winter,  taking  care  to  remove  the  mulching  at  the 
earliest  opening  of  spring. 

They  may  also  be  planted  in  pots  for  house  blooming.     In 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  449 

this  case  the  bulb  should  be  left  about  one  third  uncovered, 
and  the  pots  be  set  in  a  cool  place,  so  that  the  growth  may  not 
be  forced  hastily.  After  they  start  they  may  be  kept  warm, 
needing  only  ordinary  care,  except  that  while  blooming  they 
should  have  plenty  of  water  constantly  in  the  saucers. 

The  Hyacinth,  and  also  sometimes  the  Narcissus,  is  bloom- 
ed by  house  culture  in  water,  in  deep  glasses  known  as  bulb- 
glasses.  These  are  filled,  and  the  bottom  of  the  bulb  placed 
so  as  that  it  just  and  scarcely  touches  the  water  into  which  its 
roots  descend,  and  the  flower-stem  is  soon  thrown  up.  The 
only  precautions  necessary  are  to  start  the  growth  slowly  and 
at  a  low  temperature,  gradually  raising  it  to  ordinary  house 
warmth  (65°),  and  keeping  it  pretty  even ;  change  the  water 
every  three  or  four  days,  taking  care  that  what  you  put  in  is 
as  warm  as  that  which  you  throw  out.  It  is  a  highly  exhaust- 
ive process,  which  can  not  be  successfully  repeated  upon  the 
same  root  for  several  years  ;  but  if  such  roots,  after  their  blos- 
soms decay,  are  thrown  into  water  and  allowed  to  remain  un- 
til the  leaves  die,  the  roots,  after  being  dried,  may  be  planted 
in  the  open  ground  in  the  fall ;  but  to  reproduce  a  fine  large 
bulb,  the  blossom  stems  for  one  or  two  years  must  be  broken 
off  as  they  start,  just  as  what  are  called  rare-ripe  onions  are 
raised  of  marketable  size  by  breaking  out  the  seed-pipes. 

TULIPS  may  be  planted  and  arranged  precisely  as  above  di- 
rected for  Hyacinths  in  the  open  ground ;  but,  instead  of  or- 
dinary bulbous-root  compost,  the  soil  of  the  tulip-bed  should 
be  almost  exclusively  good  surface  loam,  the  sod  being  chop- 
ped and  rotted,  with  one  third  road- wash  or  sand,  and,  if  a 
little  manure  is  added,  let  it  be  perfectly-rotted  cow-manure, 
and  dig  it  deeply  in.  Whenever  there  is  special  danger  from 
mice  or  moles,  hardy  bulbs  may  be  planted  in  pretty  large  pots, 
sunk  where  they  are  intended  to  bloom,  which  may  either  be 
taken  up  after  the  blooming  or  remain  over. 

As  soon  as  the  flower  falls,  snap  off  the  seed-vessel  to  aid  the 
growth  of  the  bulb. 

Tulips  have  a  habit  of  change,  technically  called  running, 
in  which  the  striping  and  brightness  of  the  flower  disappear 
in  one  dull  muddy  color,  while  the  roots  become  multiplied  and 


450  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

strong.  To  counteract  this  tendency,  and  to  preserve  and  im- 
prove the  beauty  of  the  flowers,  "  tulip-fanciers"  pursue  a  sys- 
tem of  artificial  treatment  by  which  the  root  is  weakened,  and, 
in  fact,  diseased  ;  the  bulbs,  being  taken  up  every  year  as  soon 
as  the  tops  die,  are  dried  and  planted  again  in  the  fall.  This 
annual  drying  of  the  roots  is  usually  found  sufficient  to  pre- 
serve their  character,  except  in  wet  seasons  or  too  rich  soils  ; 
but,  in  order  to  improve  them  or  to  originate  new  varieties, 
seedlings  are  raised,  or  certain  kinds  of  superior  form  are  se- 
lected, and  the  drying,  accompanied  by  change  of  soil  and 
other  means,  is  carried  to  an  extreme,  the  change  caused  by 
the  process  being  technically  called  "  breaking." 

With  seedlings,  which,  for  this  purpose,  are  always  raised 
from  finely-formed  "  selfs" — that  is,  flowers  of  one  color  with- 
out striping,  the  process  is  ordinarily  continued  for  seven  or 
eight  years  before  they  break  into  their  proper  colors,  or  attain 
a  sufficient  degree  of  fixedness  in  their  habit. 

Sometimes  tulips  break  naturally;  the  cultivator  finds  a 
flower  which,  from  its  exquisite  beauty,  he  does  not  at  once 
recognize,  and  marks  it  for  special  preservation ;  but  when,  in 
due  season,  he  digs  for  the  root,  it  is  found  to  be  entirely  de- 
cayed :  the  process  of  improvement  had  been  carried  to  its  cli- 
max. It  was  the  hue  of  beauty  on  the  cheek  of  death,  exqui- 
site loveliness  linked  to  extreme  fragility. 

Persons  often  become  enthusiastic  in  their  admiration  of 
these  flowers,  and  very  expert  in  their  proper  arrangement  in 
the  bed,  which,  under  such  hands,  becomes  one  of  the  finest  of 
floral  exhibitions.  With  this  view  it  is  made  seven  rows  wide, 
the  taller-growing  varieties  occupying  the  centre  or  fourth  row, 
and  being  known  as  "  fourth-row  flowers ;"  those  somewhat 
shorter,  or  the  weaker  roots  of  the  former  varieties,  being  set 
on  either  side,  and  known  as  third-row  flowers ;  and  so  on  to  the 
first  row  or  outside  flowers,  the  disposal  of  colors  for  the  pro- 
duction of  effect  being  also  carefully  attended  to. 

Double  tulips  seldom  deserve  culture,  being  coarse,  formless, 
and  generally  thick  colored.  The  double  yellow  rose-scented, 
the  golden-centred  crimson,  and  the  bright  red-striped  "  Ma- 
riage  de  ma  fille,"  may  be  reckoned  as  exceptions. 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN.  451 


TENDER  BULBOUS-ROOTED  FLOWERS. 
SPRING   AND   SUMMER   FLOWERING. 

SIX   KINDS. 

1.  Anemone,  Hortensis,  &c.      A  rather  peculiar  bulb  or 
tuber  resembling  ginger-root,  requiring  care  in  planting,  so 
that  they  be  set  right  side  up.     They  yield  flowers  of  great 
variety  and  brilliancy  of  color. 

2.  GLADIOLUS  or  Sword  Lily.     A  showy  popular  flower,  .1 
few  varieties  of  which  are  fine,  but  many  lack  clearness  of  color. 

3.  LILY,  JACOBEAN,  Amaryllis  Formosissima.    A  fine,  rich, 
deep  scarlet  flower. 

4.  RANUNCULUS.     A  fine  flower  of  varied  forms,  cupped, 
globular,  &c.,  and  of  bright  scarlet,  crimson,  and  other  colors. 

5.  TIGRIDA  PAVONIA,  or  Mexican-tiger  Flower.     The  va- 
riety known  as  Conchiflora  is  the  finest,     There  are  many 
flowers  in  succession,  each  lasting  from  early  morning  until 
afternoon.     If  cut  before  opening  and  kept  in  entire  darkness, 
they  may  be  preserved  until  evening,  and  will  then  open  in 
the  light. 

6.  TUBEROSE,  Tuberosa.    A  rather  tall,  free-growing  flower, 
creamy  white  and  fragrant,  on  which  account  it  is  esteemed. 
It  may  be  started  early  in  pots  and  turned  out  in  season,  or 
planted  as  directed  below. 

In  planting  tender  bulbs,  let  them  be  covered  carefully  about 
two  inches  above  the  crown,  pressing  the  earth  upon  them. 
The  Ranunculus  and  the  Anemone  require  planting  in  the 
fall  in  rich,  strong,  loamy  soil,  but  must  be  protected  through 
the  winter  of  the  North  by  a  covering  of  leaves,  or  mulch  in  a 
cold  bed ;  or,  with  care,  the  roots  may  be  preserved  through 
winter  and  planted  in  very  early  spring  in  a  bed  from  which 
the  frost  has  been  excluded,  receiving  any  necessary  defense 
against  recurring  severity  of  cold  in  spring. 

The  others  may  be  planted  in  the  open  ground  when  spring 
frosts  are  passed,  and,  being  kept  clean  by  occasional  hoeing 
and  weeding,  will  give  their  beauty  or  their  fragance  in  its 
season.  They  should  all  be  dressed  with  liquid  manure  when 
they  are  in  bud.  Before  winter,  let  the  roots  be  taken  up  and 


452  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

dried,  and  preserve  them  for  replanting  in  boxes  or  paper  bags 
in  a  dry,  cool  place,  out  of  the  reach  of  frost. 

TUBEROUS-ROOTED  FLOWERS. 
DAHLIAS. 

TWENTY-ONE    VARIETIES. 

Single-flowering  Dahlias  have  entirely  disappeared  from 
cultivation,  and  double  ones,  which  florists  wrote  of  as  rarities 
thirty  years  ago,  are  found  to-day  in  almost  innumerable  vari- 
eties. The  following  list,  though  choice,  is  given  only  as  an 
assortment  of  colors. 

1.  Gem  of  the  Grove,  nearly  black,  i  13.   Ansel's    Unique,   yellow,    edged 

2.  Beeswing,  dark  red. 


with  scarlet. 

14.  Mrs.  Hansard,  yellow,  white  tip. 

15.  Striata   Perfects,    lilac,    striped 

and  flecked  with  crimson. 

16.  Lilac  King,  finest  of  lilacs. 

17.  Elizabeth,  amethyst,  white  tipped. 

18.  Rachel  Rawlings,  peach-blossom. 

19.  Blanchefieur,  pure  white. 

20.  Prince  Albert,  white,  edged  with 

lavender. 

21.  Empress  Eugenie,  white,  edged 

with  amaranth. 


3.  Bathonia,  dark  maroon. 

4.  Sir  Charles  Napier,  dark  scarlet. 

5.  Grenadier,  bright  crimson. 

6.  Brilliant,  fine  scarlet. 

7.  Sir  R.  Whittington,  ruby  crim- 

son. 

8.  Latour  d'Auvergne,  orange  scar- 

let. 

9.  Gasperine,  maroon,  white  tipped. 

10.  Kossuth,  scarlet,  white  tipped. 

11.  Cleopatra,  cleaj  yellow. 

12.  Oriflame,  splendid  orange. 

Dahlias  are  of  most  easy  culture,  reconciling  themselves  to 
almost  any  soil,  and  poor  soil  is  sometimes  prescribed  for  them. 
It  is  possible  that  very  tall,  strong-growing  kinds  may  bo 
dwarfed  and  brought  more  readily  into  flower  by  this  treat- 
ment ;  but  it  will  be  found  safer  to  select  moderate-growing 
kinds,  and  give  them  pretty  high  culture.  With  this,  a  dozen 
plants  of  different  kinds  will  furnish  a  good  variety  and  plenty 
of  flowers. 

To  treat  them  properly,  make  holes  of  at  least  fifteen  inches 
diameter  and  fifteen  to  eighteen  inches  deep ;  put  into  each 
about  a  peck  of  half-rotted  manure,  just  such  as  you  would  use 
for  hilling  potatoes  or  corn ;  mix  the  earth  through  it,  and  chop 
it  well  up  with  the  spade ;  fill  up  the  hole  a  little  above  the 
natural  level,  and  with  a  crowbar  set  a  strong  stake  as  deep 
as  the  bottom  of  your  hole,  and  a  little  back  of  the  centre. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  453 

This  being  done,  and  not  before,  open  a  small  hole  in  the  cen- 
tre with  your  hand  or  a  trowel,  and  set  the  plant  in,  an  inch 
or  two  deeper  than  it  has  previously  stood,  or  if  it  be  a  root  not 
yet  grown,  set  the  crown  the  same  depth  below  the  surface, 
press  the  earth  firmly  about  it,  level  the  surface  nicely,  and  it 
is  in  order. 

At  every  six  inches  of  its  subsequent  growth  tie  the  main 
stem  carefully,  but  not  tightly,  to  the  stake  with  strong  bass- 
mat  strips  or  cotton  wick,  colored  if  you  prefer  it.  Hoe  often 
around  it  while  young,  and  nip  the  side  shoots  entirely,  but 
not  the  stem-leaves,  from  the  two  lower  joints  of  the  stem. 
As  the  other  side  shoots  grow,  put  an  outer  band  or  two  around 
them,  not  binding  them  out  of  their  natural  position  unless 
you  wish  to,  but  staying  them  against  winds.  Nineteen  twen- 
tieths of  your  flowers  will  be  due  to  your  stakes  and  bands. 

In  the  course  of  the  season,  when  buds  are  forming  freely, 
give  them  one  or  two  dressings  of  liquid  manure,  and,  if  a 
drought  occurs  at  this  period,  mulch  them  thickly.  When  the 
frost  kills  the  foliage,  hill  a  little  earth  around  the  plants  if 
they  are  not  mulched,  and  let  them  stand  until  the  near  ap- 
proach of  winter ;  then,  in  the  morning  of  a  fine  dry  day,  cut 
off  the  tops,  take  them  up,  and,  having  shaken  the  earth  from 
them,  let  them  stand  to  dry  for  a  few  hours ;  then,  carefully 
labeling  each,  put  them  into  a  barrel,  and  in  a  few  days  cover 
them  over  with  a  little  straw  and  earth,  or  set  them  compact- 
ly upon  the  floor  of  a  dry,  cool  cellar,  and  cover  them  lightly 
with  earth  or  sand. 

Just  at  the  opening  of  spring,  and  not  too  early,  take  them 
out  and  set  them  close  together,  but  singly,  m  a  light  hot  bed, 
or  immediately  upon  a  few  inches  of  warm  manure,  or  in  a 
warm  spot  without  manure ;  cover  them  just  over  the  crowns 
with  good  earth ;  keep  them  well  watered,  and  shield  them 
with  a  blanket  or  other  defense  from  cold  nights  and  storms. 

When  they  have  sprouted  three  or  four  inches,  take  them  out 
on  a  warm  day,  and  cut  them  apart,  splitting  first  right  through 
the  centre  of  the  old  stem.  Leave  no  more  than  one  shoot  to  a 
plant,  making  cuttings  of  any  surplus  shoots.  If  you  do  not 
wish  to  divide  the  entire  plant  at  once,  uncover  the  crown 


454  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

lightly,  and  cut  off  from  the  root  the  longer  shoots,  each  with  a 
tuber  or  more,  or  with  only  a  small  portion  of  the  crown  of  the 
old  plant.  The  tubers  are  of  no  consequence  to  the  young 
plant  after  it  strikes  its  own  roots,  and  generally  the  less  of  the 
old  tuber  you  plant  the  better,  if  you  either  pot  the  young 
shoots  until  they  root,  or  plant  them  at  once  and  shade  them 
till  they  start.  If  you  wish  to  increase  them  largely,  each 
shoot  may  be  thus  cut  out,  as  the  eyes  of  potatoes  are  cut  out 
for  planting  in  times  of  scarcity,  or  you  may  still  farther  mul- 
tiply them  by  making  cuttings  of  them  all.  For  this  purpose, 
cut  off  each  young  shoot  just  above  the  crown,  leaving  the  low- 
er circle  of  incipient  buds  on  the  old  root.  Set  each  cutting 
thus  obtained  singly  in  a  half-pint  pot,  and  place  them  in  a 
moderate  and  shaded  hot  bed,  with  plenty  of  air,  until  they  are 
well  started,  which  may  require  a  week  or  two,  when  they  are 
ready  for  setting  out.  When  your  old  roots  have  thrown  new 
shoots  from  the  collar  buds  you  left,  cut  your  second  and  more 
numerous  crop  in  the  same  manner,  leaving  just  the  collar  cir- 
cle of  each,  and  treat  them  as  the  first.  This  may  be  contin- 
ued and  repeated  far  into  the  season,  only  taking  care  not  to 
force  the  growth  of  shoots  too  fast,  so  as  to  destroy  the  stamina 
of  the  cutting. 

At  the  close  of  the  cutting  season  the  old  roots  may  be 
taken  out  and  divided  as  first  directed. 

Dahlias  are  also  readily  raised  from  seed,  which,  though  suf- 
ficiently abundant  in  the  poorer  sorts,  is  scantily  yielded  by 
the  very  finest  varieties  of  this  flower  ;  but  upon  plants  of  the 
very  best  character  certain  comparatively  imperfect  blossoms 
will  appear  in  the  course  of  the  season,  and  the  earlier  of  these 
will  generally  furnish  a  few  perfect  and  ripened  seeds.  These 
may  be  sown  early  in  spring,  in  a  box  or  hot  bed,  and  should  be 
transplanted  while  small  into  half-pint  pots,  and  treated  in  all 
respects  as  directed  for  cuttings.  With  early  sowing  and  care 
they  will  often  blossom  the  first  season,  and  always  in  the  sec- 
ond, yet  so  large  a  proportion  of  seedling  flowers  prove  of  infe- 
rior character  that  private  cultivators  seldom  find  it  worth 
while  to  raise  them. 

Dahlias  are  sometimes  grafted  upon  tubers  of  common  kinds. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  455 

For  this  purpose,  cut  the  top  of  a  single  tuber  horizontally  ;  cut 
a  small  and  rather  thin  slice  of  an  inch  or  two  in  length  from 
one  side ;  take  a  young  shoot  and  cut  it  into  the  form  of  a 
shouldered  crown  graft,  making  the  shoulder-cut  close  to  a  bud 
— See  page  233 ;  let  this  shoulder-bud  rest  upon  the  head  of 
your  stock  tuber,  and  fit  the  rinds  together  as  in  tongue  graft- 
ing, but  without  tongueing ;  bind  it,  and  pot  it,  and  set  it  in  a 
hot  bed  as  a  cutting.  This  may  be  done  for  curiosity,  but  as  a 
matter  of  business  it  is  worthless.  "  Le  jeU  ne  vaux  pas  la 
chandelle"  Other  tuberous-rooted  flowers  are  included  in  An-, 
nuals,  Biennials,  &c. 

ANNUALS. 

All  annual  flowers  may  be  sown  in  the  spring  months,  or 
even  in  June,  and  brought  into  bloom  by  care  in  their  cultiva- 
tion, few  kinds  requiring  more  than  two  months  to  produce 
flowers.  For  rules  as  to  depth  of  sowing,  &c.,  see  page  84. 

There  are  some  kinds  which  shed  their  seeds  and  produce 
young  plants  in  the  fall,  which  continue  through  the  winter, 
thus  becoming  in  a  sense  biennial ;  others  shed  their  seeds, 
which  commonly  sprout  abundantly  in  spring,  but  any  plants 
that  may  grow  in  the  fall  are  killed  by  the  winter.  Li  the 
following  lists  the  former  are  marked  "  self-sowing  in  the  fall," 
the  latter  "  Sfelf-sowing  in  the  spring."  Of  either  class  abun- 
dance of  plants  may  generally  be  obtained  after  spring  opens 
from  any  spot  where  they  grew  the  previous  year.  Of  the  an- 
nuals named  below,  none  will  be  found  without  merit,  though 
some  of  them  may,  in  certain  sections,  be  so  common  as  not  to 
require  cultivation.  A  few  more  might  have  been  added,  but 
if  these  are  tastefully  arranged  and  well  cultivated,  the  flower- 
garden  will  be  adequately  supplied  with  this  class  of  flowers. 
To  economize  space,  detailed  descriptions  are  omitted. 

ANNUAL   FLOWERS. 

THIRTY-FOUR  VARIETIES. 

1.  AGERATUM,  BLUE,  Ageratum  odoratum.     Pretty  and 
sweet,  about  eighteen  inches  high. 

2.  ALYSSUM,  WHITE  SWEET,  Alyssum  maritimum.    About 


456  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

six  inches  high,  simple  and  fragrant.      Self-sowing  in  the 
spring. 

3.  ASTER,  CHINA,  Aster  Sinensis.    Fine  varied  colors,  grow- 
ing from  twelve  to  fifteen  inches  high.     Sometimes  self-sow- 
ing in  the  spring. 

4.  BARTONIA,  GOLDEN,  Bartonia  aurea.      Spreading,  but 
rising  to  the  height  of  six  inches. 

5.  BACHELOR'S  BUTTON,  Gomphrena  globosa.    White  or 
purplish-crimson;   globular  or  clover-like  flowers,  pretty  for 
drying  ;  a  foot  high. 

6.  Calendrina  grandiflora,  &c.     A  showy  lilac  flower,  re- 
quiring to  be  sown  very  early  in  rich  soil. 

7.  CANDYTUFT,  White,  Crimson,  Iberis  coronaria,  speciosa. 
Simple  border  or  edging  flowers,  six  or  eight  inches  high. 

8.  CENTRANTHUS,  Long-tubed,  Centranthus  macrosiphoii. 
A  very  pretty  clear  pink  flower,  about  a  foot  high,  a  constant 
bloomer ;  does  not  well  bear  transplanting.     Self-sowing  in  the 
spring. 

9.  COREOPSIS,  GOLDEN,  Calliopsis  tricolor  (heretofore  .Core- 
opsis tinctoria).     Showy  and  fine,  two  to  three  feet  high. 
Self-sowing  in  the  fall. 

10.  COCKSCOMB,  Buff,  Crimson,  Celosia  cristata.    From  six 
inches  to  two  feet  high.     Sow  early  in  hot  bed. 

11.  CLARKEA,  Lilac-pink,  Clarkea  pulchella.     Curious  and 
pretty,  six  to  eight  inches  high. 

12.  ETERNAL,  GOLDEN,  Heliclirysum  bracteatum.     Pretty 
for  drying  ;  from  two  to  three  feet  high.     Sow  early  in  hot  bed. 

13.  EUPHORBIA,  Variegated,  Quaker's  Daughter,  Euphorbia 
variegata.     Showy  and  peculiar,  two  feet  high.     Sometimes 
self-sowing  in  the  spring. 

14.  GOLDEN  CUP,  Chriseis  crocea  (formerly  Esscholtzia). 
Flower  and  foliage  superior. 

If  the  plants  become  straggling, cut  them  clean  to  the  ground 
in  July,  and  they  will  grow  again  and  afford  their  finest  flowers 
in  the  fall. 

It  often  survives  the  winter,  and  is  also  self-sowing  in  the 
spring.  About  a  foot  high,  Chriseis  alba  is  similar  except 
in  color. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  457 

15.  FOUR-O'CLOCK,  Common,  Sweet-scented,  Mirabilis  ja- 
lapa,  longiflora.     The  former  well  known,  two  feet  high ;  the 
latter  spreading,  and  reaching  sometimes  a  foot  high  :  a  long- 
tubed,  pale  pink  fragrant  flower.     Tuberous-rooted,  and  may 
be  wintered  as  dahlias. 

16.  HAWKWEED,  Golden,  Crepis  barbata.      A  beautiful 
morning  flower,  but  closing  in  the  strong  sunlight;   six  or 
eight  inches  high  ;  trails. 

17.  HIBISCUS,  African  (a  large  flower  of  an  hour),  Hibiscus 
Africanus.     A  pretty  morning  flower,  fading  by  noon,  about  a 
foot  high.     Self-sowing  in  the  spring. 

18.  ICE  PLANT,  Mesembryanthemum  crystallinum.     Cu- 
rious and  pretty.     Sow  early  in  hot  bed.     Trailing. 

19.  LADIES'   SLIPPER,  or  Balsam,  Balsamina   hortensis. 
From  a  foot  to  two  feet  high.     The  double  or  camellia-flowered 
varieties  are  showy  and  fine,  but  readily  deteriorate  if  inferior 
flowers  are  allowed  to  open  their  blossoms  near  them. 

20.  MALOPE,  Crimson,  Malope  grandiflora.     Showy,  grow- 
ing from  a  foot  to  two  feet  high. 

21.  MIGNONNETTE,  Beseda  odorata.     A  simple  fragrant 
flower,  six  inches  to  a  foot  high,  and  trailing,  deserving  the 
name  which  French  taste  has  given  it. 

22.  MONKEY  FLOWER,  Mimulus.     Peculiar  showy  tubu- 
lar flowers,  from  light  yellow  to  deep  orange,  with  spots  and 
blotches  of  crimson  ;  blooms  the  first  season,  and  is  sometimes 
self-sowing ;  easily  propagated  by  slip  cuttings  ;  requires  shade 
and  plenty  of  water  in  summer. 

23.  MORNING  GLORY,  Dwarf  blue,  Convolvulus  minor.     A 
beautiful  morning  flower,  a  foot  high,  but  trailing. 

24.  NEMOPHILA,  Blue,  or  Love  Grove,  Nemophila  insignis. 
Beautiful ;  requires  shade  and  moisture  ;  about  six  inches  high. 

25.  PINK,  French,  or  Ragged  Sailor,  Cyanus  minor.     Of  fine 
varied  colors,  eighteen  inches  high.     Self-sowing  in  the  fall. 

26.  POPPY,  Fringed,  &c.,  Papaver  fimbriatum,  &c.     Many 
varieties,  very  showy,  from  a  foot  to  two  feet  high,  and  of  all 
colors.     Self-sowing  in  the  fall  or  spring. 

The  Papaver  Orientalis  is  a  hardy  perennial  Poppy,  very 
large  and  coarse,  but  showy. 

U 


458  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

27.  POPPY,  Mexican,  Argemone  grandiflora.      A  rather 
handsome  white  flower,  with  a  profusion  of  yellow  stamens, 
blooming  as  an  annual,  but  its  roots  may  be  wintered  in  a  cel- 
lar and  replanted. 

28.  PETUNIA,  White,  Purple,  &c.,  Petunia  alba,  Phoenicia, 
&c.     A  showy  constant  flower  from  May  to  winter,  about  a  foot 
high,  and  trailing.     Self-sowing  in  the  spring. 

There  are  double  varieties,  which,  as  yet,  are  inferior  to  the 
single  ones. 

29.  PHLOX,  Drummond's,  Phlox  Drummondii.     A  fine  va- 
riable pink  flower,  about  a  foot  high. 

30.  PORTULACCA,  Purple,  White,  &c.,  Portulacca  splendens, 
alba,  &c.     Extremely  showy,  opening  in  the  sunlight,  about  six 
inches  high,  and  trailing.     Self-sowing  freely  in  the  spring. 

31.  ROSE  OF  HEAVEN,  Viscaria  oculata.     A  simple,  pret- 
ty, varied  pink  flower,  with  a  dark  eye. 

32.  SCHIZANTHUS,  Schizanthus  venustus,  &c.     Several  va- 
rieties of  delicate  flowers,  finely  penciled  and  spotted,  from 
eighteen  inches  to  two  feet  high  ;  a  free  and  constant  bloomer. 

33.  SENSITIVE  PLANT,  Mimosa  sensitiva.     Pretty  foliage, 
which  shrinks  on  being  touched. 

34.  TASSEL  FLOWER,  Scarlet,  Caccalia  coccinea.     A  bright 
scarlet  flower,  of  a  tassel  or  brush  form ;  pretty ;  from  a  foot 
to  eighteen  inches  high. 

CLIMBING  ANNUALS. 

SIX   VARIETIES. 

1.  Co  BE  A,  Climbing,  Cobea  scandens.     Coarse  but  curi- 
ous ;  dull  jpurple,  goblet-formed  flowers. 

2.  CYPRESS  VINE,  Ipomcea  quamoclit.     A  native  at  the 
South ;  both  flower  and  foliage  beautiful.     Pour  boiling  water 
upon  the  seed,  stirring  it ;  pour  it  off  in  a  few  minutes,  and 
sow  immediately  half  an  inch  deep. 

3.  MORNING  GLORY,  Purple,  &c.,  Convolvulus  major. 
MORNING  GLORY,  Large  dark  purple,  Ipomcea  atropurpu- 

rea. 

MORNING  GLORY,  Scarlet,  Ipomcea  coccinea.    Self-sowing 
in  spring. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  459 

4.  MAURANDYA,  Purple,   Maurandya  Bardayana.      A 
beautiful  perennial  vine,  tender,  but  growing  well  and  bloom- 
ing abundantly  as  an  annual  ;  its  flowers  are  pendent  tubes  of 
a  fine  deep  purple.     There  are  also  white,  and  mixed  muddy 
varieties  of  little  value. 

5.  PEAS,  Sweet,  Latliyrus  odoratus.     Fine  fragrant  flow- 
ers of  various  colors,  running  about  four  feet  high. 

6.  THUNBERGIA,  Buff,  &c.,   Thunbergia  alata,  alba,  &c. 
A  pretty  runner,  bearing  abundance  of  white,  nankin,  and  or- 
ange-colored tubed  flowers,  with  a  dark  puce-colored  throat, 
looking  like  the  pupil  of  an  eye. 

BIENNIALS. 

TWELVE    KINDS. 

Biennials  should  be  sown  in  the  latter  half  of  May,  and  by 
the  first  of  August,  or  whenever  they  are  of  sufficient  size,  they 
may  be  transplanted  into  their  permanent  places.  Shade  them 
for  a  few  days  after  setting  out,  and  hoe  and  weed  them  often 
through  the  fall.  In  the  spring  clean  them  perfectly,  digging 
lightly  around  them  until  they  begin  to  throw  up  their  blos- 
som-stems. Such  of  them  as  generally  or  often  bloom  the  first 
season  are  noted  in  the  list. 

1.  CANTERBURY  BELLS,  Blue,  &c.,  Campanula  medium. 
Showy  bell  or  goblet  formed  flowers,  generally  admired ;  from 
a  foot  to  eighteen  inches  high.     Self-sowing  in  the  fall. 

2.  COMMELINA,  Blue,  Commelina  celestis.    A  plant  of  little 
show  except  in  masses,  with  broad  grass-like  leaves,  the  ex- 
quisite tint  of  its  rather  scattered  flowers  constituting  its  only 
claim  to  cultivation.     Though  generally  raised  and  treated  as 
an  annual  or  biennial,  it  is  tuberous-rooted,  and  may  be  pre- 
served as  dahlias  or  potatoes.     From  a  foot  to  two  feet  high. 

3.  FOXGLOVE,  Purple,  White,  Digitalis purpurea,  alba.     A 
coarse  mullein-like  plant,  throwing  up  strong  spikes  of  light 
purple  or  white  tubular  flowers,  the  inside  of  the  purple  variety 
being  spotted.     Self-sowing  in  the  fall ;  two  to  four  feet  high. 

4.  HONESTY,  or  Satin  Flower,  Lunaria  biennis.     An  early 
flower,  of  a  rich  though  not  very  clear  purple  color,  but  deriving 
its  name  and  credit  chiefly  from  the  thin  transparent  mem- 


460  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

brane  which  remains  after  the  seeds  are  shed.  It  somewhat 
resembles  a  small  battledoor,  having  the  texture  of  satin,  and. 
like  honesty,  showing  the  same  on  both  sides  ;  about  eighteen 
inches  high. 

5.  HOLLYHOCK,  Althea  rosea.     A  strong-growing  coarse 
plant  and  flower,  but  often  of  fine  colors ;  very  showy  when 
blooming  among  shrubbery  or  by  carriage-ways ;  three  to  six 
feet  high.     It  may  be  perpetuated  by  slip-cuttings. 

6.  LARKSPUR,  Delphinium  Ajads,  consolida,  &c.    These  are 
showy  biennial  flowers,  which  also  bloom  as  annuals,  and  often 
become  favorites ;  none  of  them  are  comparable  to  the  Chinese 
Larkspur  in  its  varieties,  which  has  the  same  habit  of  free 
blooming  and  self-sowing.     See  page  463. 

7.  MONKSHOOD,  Aconitum  napellus.     A  tall,  strong  stem, 
faring  flowers  of  blue  and  white,  with  a  tinge  of  yellow  in- 
side, of  a  curious  double-hood  form,  whence  its  name.    It  ranks 
as  a  perennial,  but  is  more  properly  a  biennial  that  often  holds 
over.     Self-sowing  in  the  fall  or  spring ;   two  to  three  feet 
high  or  more.. 

8.  MOURNING  BRIDE,  Sweet  Scabious,  Scabiosa  atropur- 
purea,  &c.     There  are  various  shades  of  this  flower,  from  a 
rich  deep  maroon  to  a  poor  lilac.     Its  fragrance  is  very  pleas- 
ant, and  is  accompanied  by  a  very  slight  pungency.     It  is  an 
old  and  worthy  favorite,  often  blooming  the  first  year.     Self- 
sowing  in  the  fall ;  about  two  feet  high. 

9.  PINK,  China,  Diantlius  Chinensis  or  annuus.    A  pretty 
little  plant,  yielding  variously  colored  single  and  double  flow- 
ers the  first  year  from  the  seed,  but  blooming  also  the  second 
year,  and  may  be  perpetuated  by  cuttings.     They  are  also 
freely  self-sown ;  eight  inches  to  a  foot  high. 

10.  PANSIES,  Heartsease,  Viola  tricolor.     A  very  common 
ancl  very  beautiful  family  of  plants,  both  wild  and  cultivated, 
some  of  each  being  fragrant.     Blooming  the  first  year  from 
seed,  and  easily  preserved  from  year  to  year  by  slip  cuttings,  if 
desired  ;  a  few  inches  high  ;  are  abundantly  self-sown. 

11.  SWEET  WILLIAM,  Dianthus  barbatus.     Some  varieties 
of  this  flower  are  remarkably  fine,  having  colors  of  almost  daz- 
zling brightness  ;  but  less  care  than  it  deserves  has  been  given 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  461 

to  it,  and  inferior  kinds  abound.     No  garden  should  be  with- 
out the  finer  kinds.     A  foot  high  ;  self-sowing  freely. 

12.  SNAPDRAGON,  Antirrhinum  speciosum,  &c.  The  snap- 
dragon is  a  lip  or  mouth-formed  flower  of  various  and  fine  col- 
ors, having  the  amusing  fashion  of  opening  its  mouth  when 
pinched  "  back  of  the  ears."  The  Speciosum  is  pure  white, 
with  lips  of  fine  crimson.  From  a  foot  to  eighteen  inches 
high.  They  are  freely  self-sown,  and  sometimes  the  plants 
bloom  the  first  year. 

PERENNIALS. 

TWENTY-SIX    KINDS. 

The  seeds  of  perennials  or  herbaceous  plants  may  be  sown 
at  any  time  through  the  spring,  and  the  young  plants,  when 
of  sufficient  size,  transplanted  as  directed  for  biennials,  or  they 
may  be  left  in  the  seed-rows  until  the  next  spring. 

For  particular  species  of  plants  in  the  following  brief  list, 
special  directions  are  given  as  tcr  the  modes  by  which  they 
may  be  increased,  but,  in  general,  this  is  easily  done  by  dividing 
the  crowns  of  the  roots  either  when  they  have  ceased  growing 
in  the  fall,  or  after  they  start  in  the  spring.  Usually,  at  this 
latter  period,  each  spear,  if  separated  with  ever  so  small  a  por- 
tion of  the  root,  or  even  slipped  off  without  root,  will  grow,  if 
proper  care  be  given  to  shade  and  water  it ;  but  the  inexperi- 
enced cultivator  should  be  content  with  a  moderate  division  of 
the  rooted  pieces. 

1.  ADAM'S  THREAD  AND  NEEDLE,  Yucca  filamentosa  and 
T.  gloriosa.     Almost  entirely  hardy  aloe-like  plants,  produc- 
ing upon  a  branching  stem  a  multitude  of  white  bell-shaped 
flowers.     The  first  blooms  most  freely.     At  the  North  a  little 
straw  covering  in  winter  is  desirable. 

2.  ARTEMISIA  or  CHRYSANTHEMUM.     Many  varieties,  with 
large  or  small  flowers  ;  all  showy,  and  some  of  them  fine ;  they 
are  our  latest  fall  flower. 

The  Paper  White,  the  White  Quilled,  the  Golden  Lotus,  the 
Straw  and  the  Rose  colored,  and  the  Crimson  or  Purple,  may 
be  named. 

For  house-blooming,  make  cuttings  early  in  August  of  about 


462  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

eight  inches  of  the  point  of  each  of  the  young  shoots  ;  pot  them 
as  soon  as  they  are  well  rooted  in  compost  No.  1  or  4,  pages 
443,  444,  and  keep  them  regularly  watered,  and  a  fine  show  of 
blossom  may  be  expected  with  a  moderate  growth  of  stem.  The 
stems  from  which  the  cuttings  were  taken  will  also  branch 
and  blossom  in  their  season. 

3.  BAPTISIA,  Indigo-plant,  Baptisia  atro-cerulea.    One  of 
the  most  beautiful  of  native  herbaceous  plants,  taking  care  of 
itself  when  once  planted  ;  two  feet  high. 

4.  BLOODROOT,  Sanguinaria  Americana.     A  well-known 
wild  plant,  with  clear  white  flower  and  pretty  foliage,  bloom- 
ing in  the  earliest  spring.     It  should  have  a  cool,  moist  place 
in  every  garden,  where  such  can  be  found.     It  is  tuberous- 
rooted. 

5.  COLUMBINE,  Wild,  Garden,  Aquilegia  Canadensis,  Vul- 
garis  glandulosa,  &c.     All  the  varieties  of  Aquilegia  are  pret- 
ty, but  none  prettier  than  the  wild,  unless  the  Glandulosa,  with 
its  calyx-skirt  of  sky-blue  covering  a  pure  white  "  dimity"  co- 
rolla, may  be  thought  to  excel  it.     The  Aguilegia  Siberica  also 
is  a  rather  peculiar  variety,  yielding  its  erect  crimped  double 
blue  flowers  profusely.     From  a  foot  to  two  feet  high  ;  self-sow- 
ing in  the  fall. 

6.  COWSLIP,  AMERICAN,  Dodecatheon  media.     An  early- 
flowering,  lettuce- leaved  plant  of  much  prettiness ;  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania  and  the   Southwest ;    flower  -  stems  about   six 
inches  high. 

7.  CHINESE  DIELYTRA,  Dielytra  spectabilis.    A  new,  beau- 
tiful, and  perfectly  hardy  Chinese  plant,  with  curious  rose-col- 
ored flowers.     It  is  of  the  very  easiest  cultivation,  blooming  in 
early  spring,  and  may  be  continued  in  succession  through  the 
season  by  slipping  off  a  few  cuttings  from  the  crown  of  the 
plant  in  April,  May,  and  June,  or  even  July ;  the  later  ones 
may  be  potted  for  house-blooming.     About  two  feet  high ;  it 
will  become  a  universal  favorite. 

8.  DAY  LILY,  White,  Yellow,  Blue,  Hemerocallis  japonica, 
flava,  cerulea.     The  first  pure  white,  the  second  clear  lem- 
on-yellow, and  both  of  exquisite  fragrance.     The  blue  is  not 
fragrant,  but  is  admired.     From  a  foot  to  two  feet  high. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  463 

S 

9.  DRAGON'S  HEAD  VIRGINIAN,  Dracocephalum  Virginia- 
num.     A  wild  plant  of  Pennsylvania  and  southward,  bearing 
spikes  of  light  lilac  tubular  flowers,  finely  and  curiously  spot- 
ted inside.     Grows  about   two  feet  high,  and  needs  care  to 
prevent  it  spreading  itself  too  freely. 

10.  EUPATORIUM,  Blue,  Eupatorium  celestinum.     A  wild 
plant  of  the  South  and  Southwest,  of  a  beautiful  sky-blue ; 
nearly  two  feet  high  ;  increased  by  its  roots  too  freely. 

11.  FEVERFEW,  DOUBLE,  or  LAFAYETTE  DAISY,  Pyrethrum 
parthenium  plena.     A  very  pretty  pure  white  flower,  bloom- 
ing freely  in  the  green-house  or  garden.     The  old  plants  are 
apt  to  winter-kill,  but  young  plants  from  cuttings  are  quite 
hardy.     Common  or  slip  cuttings  root  without  care  if  planted 
in  the  shade. 

12.  FRAXINELLA,  Red,  White,  Dictamnus  fraxinella.     A 
peculiar  and  strongly  fragrant  plant,  its  smell  producing  in 
some  persons  nervous  headache.     Its  blossoms  give  out  an  in- 
flammable gas. 

13.  GENTIAN,  FRINGED,   Gentiana  crinita.     An  upright 
tubed  flower,  of  an  exceedingly  fine  pale  blue,  the  edges  being 
delicately  fringed.     Found  every  where  in  the  shady  spots  of 
moist  meadows  in  early  fall,  growing  from  six  inches  to  a  foot 
high.     It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  flowers. 

14.  IRIS,  Fleur  de  Lis,  Purple,  White,  &c.,  Iris  purpurea, 
celestina,  alba,  &c.     Of  these  there  are  many  showy  and  fra- 
grant varieties.     The  dwarf  purple,  'Iris  humilis,  makes  a  good 
edging  for  paths.     Six  inches  to  two  feet  high. 

15.  LARKSPUR,  CHINESE,  &c.,  Delphinium  Sinensis,  &c. 
The  flower  of  the  Chinese  Larkspur  is  sometimes  white,  but 
mostly  of  various  fine  shades  of  blue. 

The  young  plants  bloom  freely  the  first  season,  continuing 
till  quite  late,  and  from  year  to  year  it  will  be  found  one  of 
the  chief  and  most  constant  ornaments  of  a  garden. 

The  Double  Chinese  and  Breck's  Seedlings  are  superb  vari- 
eties of  this  flower. 

16.  LILY  OF  THE  VALLEY,  Convallaria  majalis.     A  low- 
growing,  small,  white,  bell-formed  flower,  of  pleasant  fragrance 
and  beauty. 


4(14  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

17.  LYCHNIS,  SCARLET,  Lychnis  Ckalcedonica.    The  fine 
bright  scarlet  of  the  flower,  rivaling  the  Chalcedony,  is  its 
chief  recommendation.     From  a  foot  to  two  feet  high. 

18.  PEONY,  large  Crimson,  Rose,  White,  Chinese  Tree,  &c., 
Pceonia  officinalis,  rosea,  Whitlijii,  Moutan,  &c.     A  well- 
known  and  large  class  of  showy  flowers,  many  of  them  fragrant. 
The  last,  Pceonia  Moutan,  is  a  low  shrub,  yielding  an  abund- 
ance of  large  rose-colored  flowers.     It  is  increased  by  layers 
and  offshoots,  the  former  rooting  rather  slowly. 

19.  PHLOX,  Crimson,  Striped,  White,  Pink,  &c.,  Phlox  spe- 
ciosa,  Van  Houtii,  pyramidalis,  stolonifera,  &c.     The  last, 
Phlox  stolonifera,  is  a  trailing  variety,  one  of  our  earliest 
spring  flowers ;  the  others  are  summer  or  fall  flowers,  of  all 
hues,  and  well  worth  the  little  culture  they  require.     The 
whole  family  belong  to  our  continent,  but  they  are  sometimes 
known  as  French  or  Spanish  lilacs.     The  "  grass  pink"  used 
for  edging  is  the  Phlox  subulata. 

20.  PINKS,  PICOTEES,  CARNATIONS,  Dianthus  plumarius, 
caryophillus,  &c.     Varieties  of  the  garden  Pink,  Dianthus 
plumarius,  are  more  or  less  common  every  where ;  but  the 
larger  Picotee,  or  "  spotted"  Pink,  and  the  striped,  or  Carna- 
tion, are  comparatively  rare,  from  causes  which  are,  however, 
easily  obviated.     In  general,  the  odor  of  the  pink  is  increased 
with  the  depth  of  its  color,  and  the  dark  crimson  Carnations 
are  called  cloves  from  their  strong  spicy  fragrance. 

Some  very  double  flowers  are  liable  to  burst  on  one  side,  and 
become  irregular  and  unsightly.  If  such  are  cultivated,  the 
divisions  of  the  calyx,  or  flower-case,  should  be  cut  open  equal- 
ly with  a  pen-knife  about  a  quarter  of  an  inch  down,  and  a 
band  of  yarn  or  narrow  bass  strip  tied  around  the  middle  of  the 
bud  to  stay  it.  Fancy  cultivators  slip  a  circular  card,  with  a 
cross-cut  opening  in  the  centre,  over  the  main  bud,  to  be  drawn 
up  to  form  a  tablet  for  the  flower  when  it  opens,  trimming  off 
also  all  side  blossoms  to  strengthen  this  one.  All  the  varieties 
may  be  increased  by  seeds,  by  cuttings,  or  by  layers. 

The  natural  state  of  almost  all  flowers  is  single,  or,  at  most, 
semi-double ;  and  most  pinks  raised  from  seed  yield  single 
flowers,  which,  though  sweet,  are  not  esteemed  ;  but  a  few  fine, 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  465 

and  sometimes  superior  flowers  are  also  obtained.  Seeds  should 
be  sown  in  spring  in  good  soil,  and  lightly  covered,  and  the 
young  plants  transplanted  when  about  two  inches  high.  To 
make  a  pink  cutting  of  the  larger  varieties,  take  off  the  young 
tender  shoot  before  it  starts  to  run  up  to  blossom  ;  uncover  the 
lower  buds  or  joints  by  stripping  off  a  few  of  the  older  leaves  ; 
then,  with  a  keen  knife,  cut  the  stem  clean  off  very  close  be- 
low the  slightly  swollen  ring  or  joint  of  the  stem ;  trim  off  the 
next  one  or  two  pair  of  leaves  just  where  they  begin  to  diverge 
from  the  stem,  and  shorten  the  points  of  the  rest  an  inch  or 
two,  if  at  all  spreading,  by  a  single  cut.  See  Fig.  303  e,  p. 
438.  Set  the  cutting  in  good  light  earth,  or  compost  No.  2, 
p.  443,  from  an  inch  to  two  inches  deep,  according  to  the 
strength  of  the  growth  and  length  of  the  shank ;  press  the 
earth  firmly  about  it  with  your  thumb  and  finger ;  water  it 
moderately,  and  cover  it  either  with  sash,  or  hand-glass,  or 
bell-glass,  or  tumbler,  or  simply  set  it  in  the  shade,  and,  in 
general,  you  will  succeed  to  your  satisfaction.  Cultivators 
sometimes  slit  the  butt  of  the  cutting  between  the  buds,  about 
half  an  inch  up,  with  a  view  to  induce  an  outgrowth  of  roots 
from  each,  one  side  only  throwing  out  roots  when  it  is  left 
whole,  which  yet,  upon  other  accounts,  is  to  be  generally  pre- 
ferred, unless  in  skillful  hands.  The  smaller  varieties  are  cut 
in  the  same  manner,  but  require  less  trimming.  See  Fig.  303 
/,  page  438. 

Pink  cuttings  are  also  called  "  pipings,"  from  the  stem  be- 
ing entirely  sheathed  by  each  pair  of  leaves,  which  are  left  in 
a  pipe  or  tube  form,  when  the  cuttings  are  made  by  simply 
drawing  out -the  heart-growth  down  to  the  desired  joint,  as  is 
sometimes  practiced  with  the  garden  pink,  Fig.  303  g,  h,  p. 
438.  Layers  are  made  as  directed  page  441. 

Both  cuttings  and  layers  should  be  made  in  June,  just  at 
the  time  of  blossoming,  and  must  be  watched  and  watered  once 
or  twice  with  weak  liquid  manure,  and  shaded  or  mulched,  be- 
ing also  examined  occasionally,  so  that,  as  soon  as  they  are  well 
rooted,  which  will  be  in  a  month  or  six  weeks,  they  may  be 
transplanted  carefully  and  shaded  till  they  take  hold.  If  in- 
tended for  winter  blossoming,  they  may  be  potted  at  once. 

U2 


466  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

In  one  or  other  of  these  modes  they  should  be  renewed  every 
year.  The  plants  raised  by  layers  are  not  quite  so  hardy  as 
those  from  cuttings  or  seeds  ;  but  the  young  strong  plants  of 
almost  all  of  them  bear  the  winter  about  as  well  as  grass,  while 
the  old  ones  of  the  larger  kinds  require  to  be  housed,  and  even 
those  of  the  smaller  kinds  suffer  by  exposure. 

Skillful  florists  of  taste  and  fancy,  who  take  pride  in  floral 
exhibitions,  practice  various  arts  in  preparing  flowers  for  show, 
known  technically  as  "  dressing"  them.  By  means  of  a  pair 
of  long  and  delicate  tweezers,  or  tongs,  usually  of  wire,  with 
flattened  and  smoothly-finished  ends,  the  petals  are  arranged 
to  the  very  best  advantage ;  any  curled,  or  imperfect,  or  mis- 
placed petals  are  removed,  and,  if  need  be,  substitutes  from  an- 
other flower  inserted.  It  is  the  careful,  and  not  always  hon- 
est toilet  of  the  flower,  that  it  may  catch  the  eye  and  secure  the 
conquest. 

Pinks,  Picotees,  and  Carnations  are  peculiarly  liable  to  be 
made  the  subjects  of  these  manipulations,  although,  perhaps, 
no  class  of  show  flowers  is  entirely  exempted  from  them. 

21.  PRIMROSE,  &c.,  Primula.     This  class  of  flowers,  includ- 
ing the  Primrose,  Polyanthus,  Cowslip,  &c.,  are,  like  the  Dais}7 
and  Pansy,  early  and  very  pretty,  though  at  the  north  the  win- 
ter is  too  severe  for  some  of  them  if  unprotected.     They  are 
increased  by  dividing  the  plant  when  it  has  done  flowering  for 
the  season,  shading  the  young  ones  for  a  while. 

22.  SAGE,  Blue-flowering,  Salvia  angustifolia.     The  flow- 
er is  of  an  extremely  fine  shade.     See  also  page  472. 

23.  SPIKE  FLOWER,  Steeple-top,  Veronica  spicata,  varie- 
gata,  &c.     Simple  pretty  flowers  of  numerous  varieties,  some 
growing  three  or  four  feet  high,  and  others  hiding  their  mi- 
nute and  delicate  beauty  among  the  short  grass  by  the  way- 
side. 

24.  SPIRAEA  FILIPENDULA.     A  small,  pure  white  double 
flower,  of  peculiar  delicacy  of  habit,  yet  hardy  and  easily  raised 
if  slightly  shaded  from  the  strong  sun.     It  has  small  tuberous 
roots,  and  is  increased  by  dividing  from  the  crown. 

25.  SUN-FLOWER,  DOUBLE  PERENNIAL,  Helianthus  multi- 
florus  pleno.     A  tuberous-rooted  sun-flower,  bearing  numer- 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  467 

ous  double  yellow  blossoms,  of  the  size  of  dahlias,  in  early  fall. 
Grows  about  four  feet  high. 

26.  VIOLET,  Poetic  or  Single  Purple,  Double  Purple,  Double 
Blue,  or  Neapolitan,  Viola  odorata  in  vars.  All  delightfully 
fragrant.  The  Double  Blue  requires  winter  protection,  and  the 
Double  Purple  is  liable  to  suffer  if  entirely  unsheltered.  Either 
of  the  latter  may  be  bloomed  in  pots  in  the  house. 

GREEN-HOUSE  PLANTS. 

Scientific  cultivators  divide  wjiat  are  commonly  called 
"  Green-house  Plants"  into  two  classes :  "  Stove  Plants," 
that  is,  intertropical  plants,  which  require  a  higher  tempera- 
ture or  a  longer  continuance  of  heat  than  even  our  New  York 
summers  afford,  in  order  to  their  healthful  growth ;  and  Green- 
house Plants  proper,  or  such  as,  being  natives  of  the  warmer 
portions  of  the  temperate  zones,  require  only  protection  through 
the  winters  of  the  colder  latitudes. 

There  are  many  elaborate  treatises  on  the  construction  of 
green-houses,  with  the  various  modes  of  heating,  and  the  prop- 
er cultivation  of  plants  in  them,  of  which  those  who  desire  to 
obtain  detailed  and  precise  instructions  in  this  department  may 
avail  themselves.  The  limits  of  this  work  will  permit  only  a 
reference  to  the  more  familiar  varieties,  and  the  simplest  ar- 
rangements for  their  winter  protection  or  culture. 

SHRUBS  FOR  THE  GREEN-HOUSE. 

EIGHTEEN    KINDS. 

1.  ABUTILON  STRIATUM,  Striped  Abutilon.     One  of  the 
most  elegant  and  free-blooming  of  green-house  shrubs.     It  is 
increased  from  cuttings  almost  as  readily  as  the  willow.     There 
are  larger  flowering  varieties  not  so  pretty. 

2.  AZALEA  INDICA,  PHOENICIA,  &c.     The  pretty  wild  vari- 
eties of  Azalea  are  known  as  the  May-apple,  Honeysuckle,  &c. ; 
but  there  are  many  fine  varieties  for  green-house  culture,  of 
which  the  Phoenicia  is  perhaps  the  most  generally  admired. 
It  is  a  purple.     They  are  increased  by  layers,  or  by  cuttings  in 
sandy  with  heat  under  them,  as  immediately  over  the  flue  or 
pipes,  £c.,  in  the  green-house,  or  in  a  light  hot  bed,  and  cov- 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 

ered  with  a  bell-glass.     Seedlings  are  also  raised  in  sand  and 
peat  under  a  bell-glass  with  care. 

3.  BIGNONIA  VENUSTA,  &c.,  Beautiful  Bignonia.     A  fine, 
tender  trumpet  flower  for  a  green-house  climber.     Increased 
by  layers  or  cuttings. 

4.  CAMELLIA  JAPONIC  A,  Japan  rose.     The  varieties  of  this 
splendid  flower  are  without  number.     A  pretty  full  assortment 
of  them  would  require  a  large  green-house.     If  only  a  few  are 
desired,  Alba  plena,  the  old  double  white ;  imbricata,  crim- 
son and  white  ;  Jejfersonii,  bright  crimson  ;  Washington,  deep 
crimson  ;  and  Americana,  blush  dashed  with  rose,  all  of  fine 
form  and  free  bloomers,  may  do  well  for  a  beginning.     Camel- 
lias are  capable  of  bearing  slight  frosts  with  but  little,  if  any 
injury.     They  are  increased  by  layers,  cuttings,  and  seeds 
sown  as  soon  as  they  are  ripe,  or  by  tongue  grafting,  or  inarch- 
ing upon  stocks  of  single-flowering  kinds  provided  for  the  pur- 
pose. ~.c  •'>>• 

5.  CITRUS,  Orange,  Lemon,  &c.     See  page  362. 

6.  CYTISUS  RACEMOSUS,  &c.     A  pretty  class  of  bushy, 
small,  yellow,  pea-blossomed  shrubs.     Increased  by  layers,  off- 
shoots, and  cuttings. 

7.  DAPHNE  ODORA,  Sweet  Daphne.     A  shrub  of  which  the 
flowers  are  very  fragrant.     Increased  by  cuttings  under  glass. 

8.  DEUTZIA  SCABRA,  D.  GRACILIS.     Hardy  shrubs  abound- 
ing with  pure  white  blossoms,  either  potted  in  the  green-house 
or  set  in  the  open  garden.     Increased  by  offshoots,  layers,  or 
cuttings. 

9.  GARDENIA  FLORIDA,  Florida  jasmine.    A  shrub  with 
white  fragrant  rose-like  flowers.     Increased  by  layers  or  cut- 
tings under  glass. 

10.  HOYA  CARNOSA,  Wax-plant.     Quite  a  pretty  and  pe- 
culiar climber,  with  panicles  of  wax-like  honeyed  flowers,  and 
thick,  fleshy  leaves,  which  root  when  planted  as  cuttings.     It 
is  also  increased  by  ordinary  cuttings,  layers,  or  offshoots. 

11.  LAGERSTREMIA  INDIC A,  Crape  Myrtle.     A  shrub  which 
at  the  South  is  hardy,  bearing  abundance  of  clear  pink  blos- 
soms, delicately  fringed  or  cut,  with  a  crinkled,  crape-like  ap- 
pearance.   It  is  improved  by  pretty  close  winter  pruning.    In- 
creased by  cuttings  under  glass. 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

1 2.  LA VANDULA  SPIC ATA,  Lavender.    A  small  shrub  class- 
ed among  herbs,  modest  but  worthy,  bearing  short  spiked  pale 
blue  flowers,  of  a  fine  delicate  odor,  which  they  preserve  when 
dried,  and  yield  freely  by  distillation.     The  perfume  is  much 
used  in  making  Eau  de  Cologne.     It  is  hardy  south  of  New 
York,  and  may  be  raised  from  seed,  as  sage  (see  p.  176),  or  by 
common  or  slip  cuttings. 

13.  NERIUM  OLEANDER,  &c.,  Oleander.     Several  varieties 
of  a  showy  and  free-growing  plant,  with  rose  or  crimson  flow- 
ers, &c.,  well  known  under  its  common  name.     Increased  by 
offshoots,  layers,  or  cuttings  in  earth  or  water. 

14.  PASSIFLORA  C^ERULEA,  &<c.,  Passion  Flower.    Several 
of  the  tender  varieties  are  singularly  fine.     Increased  by  off- 
shoots  or  layers,  and  cuttings  of  the  very  young  growth  will 
root  pretty  well  under  glass. 

15.  PITTOSPORUM  TOBIRA,  Pittosporum.     A  pretty  large 
green-house  shrub,  with  glossy  laurel-like  leaves  and  single 
white  flowers  in  small  bunches,  having  a  piny  fragrance.    In- 
creased by  layers  or  cuttings. 

16.  Rosa,  RCSE  in  varieties.     Lamarque,  Solfatarre,  Chro- 
matella,  among  running  roses,  and  Hermosa,  Devoniensis,  La 
Heine,  and  Souvenir  de  Malmaison  among  those  of  bush  growth, 
may  be  named,  to  which  additions  may  be  made  to  such  extent 
as  individual  taste  may  prompt.     Young  budded  plants  gen- 
erally bloom  well  in  the  house  or  green-house. 

17.  SPIRAEA  REEVESII,  &c.,  Reeves' s  Spiraea.     A-  hardy 
shrub,  with  abundance  of  pure  white  flowers  in  green-house  or 
garden.     Spiraea  prunifolia  forms  a  small  and  rather  compact 
bush,  which  covers  itself  with  small  double  white  flowers.    In- 
creased by  offshoots,  layers,  or  cuttings. 

18.  VIBURNUM  TINUS,  Laurustinus.     A  pretty  evergreen 
shrub,  hardy  at  the  South,  with  panicles  of  delicate  white 
flowers.     It  is  quite  ornamental.     Increased  by  offshoots,  lay- 
ers, or  cuttings  shaded  under  glass. 

All  the  above  "  shrubs  for  the  green-house"  that  are  not 
entirely  hardy  may  be  wintered  safely,  with  a  little  care,  in  a 
common  cellar  with  air  and  light. 


470  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


PLANTS   OF   SMALLER   GROWTH   FOR   THE   GREEN-HOUSE. 

TWENTY   KINDS. 

1.  ALOYZIA  CRITIODORA,  Lemon  Plant.    A  well-known  old 
favorite.     The  lemon  fragrance  of  its  foliage  has  given  it  a 
name.     Its  flower  is  simple,  but  pretty.     Increased  by  layers  ; 
or  cuttings  of  the  last  year's  growth  root  freely,  with  or  with- 
out glass,  particularly  if  taken  before  they  start  in  the  spring 
from  plants  that  have  rested  from  growth  through  winter. 

2.  AMARYLLIS  FORMOSISSIMA,  Jacobean  Lily.     A  fine  deep 
scarlet  lily,  blooming  freely  potted  in  compost  No.  3  ;  bulbous. 

3.  BEGONIA  SANGUINE  A,  &c.,  Crimson-leaved  Begonia.    A 
peculiar  soft-stemmed  plant,  with  red  leaves  or  leaf- veins,  and 
delicate  pink  or  flesh-colored  wax-like  flowers.     Increased  by 
offshoots  or  cuttings. 

4.  CALCEOLARIA,  Purse  Flower.     There  are  many  varieties 
of  this  plant,  some  of  which  are  herbaceous,  others  woody. 
They  all  bear  flowers  of  a  peculiar  bag  form,  and  in  general  are 
finely  colored  or  spotted.     Pretty  in  green-house  or  garden,  but 
do  not  bear  exposure  to  a  strong  sun.     Increased  by  seeds  or 
cuttings. 

5.  CALLA  ETHIOPICA,  Lily  of  tJie  Nile.     The  well-known 
pure  white  funnel-formed  Ethiopian  Lily.     Increased  freely  by 
offshoots  if  kept  moist. 

6.  CINERARIA.     A  numerous  family  of  very  showy  house 
plants,  which  bear  profusely  their  star-like  flowers,  generally 
edged  with  various  shades  of  crimson,  and  purple,  and  lilac 
around  a  white  centre.     Increased  by  cuttings,  and  in  some 
varieties  freely  by  offshoots. 

7.  DIELYTRA  SPECTABILTS,  Beautiful  Dielytra.     A  hardy 
plant,  but  making  one  of  the  finest  ornaments  of  the  green- 
house.    See  page  462. 

8.  FABIANA  IMBRICATA.    A  delicate  heath-like  plant,  cover- 
ing itself  with  small  white  tubular  blossoms.     Cuttings  root 
freely  under  bell-glass  in  the  shade. 

9.  FUCHSIA,  Ladies'  Ear-drop.     Of  this  old  and  favorite 
house-plant  there  is  now  a  large  number  of  new  varieties,  some 
of  them  very  beautiful,  some  only  peculiar,  and  some  coarse  end 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  471 

lacking  almost  entirely  the  grace  that  distinguished  the  older 
kinds.     They  are  all  readily  increased  by  cuttings. 

10.  HELIOTROPIUM,  Heliotrope.     A  common  house  plant, 
with  light  or  dark  lilac  blossoms  of  delightful  fragrance.     In- 
creased readily  by  cuttings. 

11.  IPOM^EA.     There  are  several  varieties  that  make  desira- 
ble climbers  for  the  green-house ;  their  flowers  resemble  the 
Convolvulus,  but  are  of  surpassingly  fine  colors.     Increased  by 
cuttings  set  in  sand  under  a  bell-glass,  in  a  warm  but  shaded 
spot. 

12.  JASMINUM  REVOLUTUM,  YeUotv  Jasmine.     A  semi- 
climbing  plant,  bearing  yellow  tubular  flowers,  the  margin  of 
which  is  rolled  a  little  backward.     Increased  readily  by  cut- 
tings. 

13.  LONICERA  JAPONIC  A,  Japan  Honeysuckle.     A  favorite 
fragrant  climber.     Increased  by  cuttings. 

14.  LOPHOSPERMUM   ERUBESCENS,  Pink  Lophospermum. 
A  rather  delicate  climber,  bearing  somewhat  sparsely  fine  light 
pink  flowers  of  a  tubular  form  ;  sometimes  set  in  open  borders 
in  summer. 

15.  MAURANDYA  BARCLAYANA,  Purple  Maurandya.     A 
rapid  and  showy  climber,  with  rather  large  tubed  flowers  of  a 
fine  purple  color ;  often  raised  as  an  annual — see  page  459. 
Increased  by  seeds  or  cuttings. 

16.  MIGNONNETTE.    Sown  in  pots,  and  not  permitted  to  seed, 
it  will  continue  to  grow  and  blossom  throughout  the  year. 

17.  PELARGONIUM,  Geranium.     Of  these  plants  there  are 
innumerable  varieties,  many  of  them  of  great  beauty,  and  a 
number  with  fine  fragrance  both  of  the  leaf  and  blossom.     All 
of  them  are  increased  freely  by  cuttings.     When  these  are 
taken  off  very  young,  or  from  the  fleshy-growing  kinds,  the  cut 
ends  should  be  suffered  to  dry  a  little  before  they  are  planted, 
to  prevent  rotting.     Some  of  the  kinds  may  also  be  raised  read- 
ily from  cuttings  of  the  root. 

18.  PETUNIA  ALBA,  &c.,  Petunias.    These  showy  annuals 
may  be  made  to  ornament  the  green-house  or  parlor  by  potting 
either  old  or  young  plants  or  cuttings  in  the  fall,  having  first 
pretty  thoroughly  trimmed  them  ;  they  will  grow  afresh,  and 


472  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

blossom  freely  throughout  the   winter  with   ordinary  house 
treatment. 

19.  SALVIA  SPLENDENS,  FULGENS,  &c.,  Scarlet  Sage,  &c. 
The  green-house  varieties  of  Sage,  which  also  flower  freely  in 
summer  borders,  afford  flowers  remarkable  for  the  richness  of 
their  colors.     They  are  easily  increased  by  cuttings,  and  some 
varieties  by  seeds. 

20.  VIOLA  ODORATA,  Violets.     Sweet  Violets,  blue  or  pur- 
ple, single  or  double,  should  have  a  place  in  every  green-house 
or  parlor  as  well  as  garden,  for  their  exquisite  odor. 

Almost  all  the  above,  as  noted  under  each,  may  be  raised 
from  cuttings  planted  in  June,  and  shaded  either  under  glass 
or  without  it.  As  soon  as  they  begin  to  root  they  should  be 
potted  in  suitable  compost — see  page  443 — taking  care  to  put 
small  sherds,  or  stones,  or  broken  shells  into  the  bottom  of  each 
pot  for  proper  drainage ;  trim  the  young  roots,  if  they  have 
become  long ;  fill  up  the  pot  sufficiently  before  putting  in  the 
plant ;  set  its  roots  naturally,  and  fill  the  pot  up  carefully, 
shaking  it  a  little  from  time  to  time,  and  pressing  the  earth 
moderately  around  the  roots  with  the  hand.  Shade  and  water 
them  carefully  for  a  few  days  until  they  start  afresh.  If  they 
are  first  set  in  small  pots,  they  will  require  repotting  with  the 
older  plants  in  August  or  September,  preparatory  to  taking 
them  in  for  winter.  At  this  time  let  all  straggling  growth  be 
removed,  and  all  excess  shortened,  and  the  plants,  both  old  and 
young,  be  brought  into  snug  compass  and  neat  condition.  Let 
all  matted  roots  also  be  cut  away,  and  long  ones  be  shortened ; 
remove  a  considerable  portion  of  the  old  earth,  and  replace  it 
with  fresh  compost.  Shade  and  water  them  with  special  care 
until  they  recover  from  the  operation,  and  before  taking  them 
in  for  winter,  pick  off  all  dead  or  faded  leaves,  and  burn  them. 

If  it  be  proposed  simply  to  preserve  the  plants  of  this  class 
through  the  winter,  the  shrubs  and  many  of  the  smaller  plants 
may  be  kept  in  a  light,  airy  cellar ;  but  it  is  better  that  they 
be  placed  at  once  in  a  pit  so  graded  as  that  the  tops  are  eight 
or  ten  inches  below  the  glass.  The  pit  being  properly  banked 
around,  the  sashes  may  be  put  on  when  found  necessary  for 
the  defense  of  the  plants,  and  shutters,  or  straw  mats,  or  both, 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  473 

added  as  the  cold  becomes  more  severe,  covering  still  thicker, 
if  required,  with  long  stable-manure.  Keep  these  coverings 
dry  from  the  first  by  spreading  over  all,  and  carefully  fasten- 
ing, a  strong  canvas  or  India-rubber  sheet  that  will  shed  the 
rain,  and  with  which  any  ordinary  snow  can  be  rolled  off  as 
soon  as  the  storm  ceases.  Open  the  front  of  the  sashes  to  give 
air  in  mild  weather,  but  keep  them  closed  at  all  other  times, 
letting  in  the  shaded  light  occasionally,  in  bright  moderate 
weather,  at  midday.  As  spring  approaches,  lessen  the  cov- 
ering, and  gradually  increase  the  air  and  light  given  until  it 
is  time  to  take  them  out  for  the  summer. 

If  it  is  intended  to  keep  and  bloom  them  in  the  house,  they 
may  be  placed  in  a  cold  bed  until  the  severe  frost  approaches, 
and  then  be  transferred  to  a  well-lighted  room,  without  heat, 
and  placed  on  their  stands  with  castors ;  or  they  may  be  at 
once  taken  to  such  a  room  in  early  fall,  leaving  it  open  day 
and  night  when  the  weather  is  not  too  severe ;  into  this  room, 
by  means  of  a  drum,  or  register,  or  small  stove,  introduce  only 
just  so  much  warmth  as  will  exclude  frost  until  about  mid- 
winter, then  very  gradually  increase  the  heat  until  it  rises  to 
about  65°  in  the  day ;  let  it  sink  in  the  night,  but  not  lower 
than  to  about  40°  at  the  lowest.  If  the  thermometer  goes 
above  70°?  let  in  air  carefully  at  the  top  of  your  windows. 
Never  permit  sudden  variations  of  temperature ;  if  these  oc- 
cur to  any  considerable  extent,  they  will  prove  as  injurious  as 
a  frost.  Remove  all  decaying  leaves,  and  keep  the  plants 
clean  by  washing  them  off  with  tepid  water  at  least  once  a 
week  if  they  become  dusty :  this  may  be  effected  by  dipping 
their  tops  in  a  tub  of  water  and  moving  them  gently  in  it,  or, 
if  needful,  the  cleansing  may  be  aided  by  the  careful  light  use 
of  a  soft  brush  or  fine  sponge ;  or  set  them  one  or  two  at  a 
time  in  the  tub,  and  shower  them  with  the  common  rose  water- 
ing-pot, held  two  or  three  feet  above  them,  adding  to  this  also, 
if  necessary,  the  use  of  the  brush  or  sponge. 

If  a  room  heated  by  a  drum  or  register  is  appropriated  ex- 
clusively to  them,  and  they  do  not  become  dusty,  water  may 
be  given  moderately  upon  the  surface  of  the  earth  in  the  pots 
once  in  three  or  four  days,  if  it  seems  to  be  getting  dry ;  but 


474  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

do  not  suffer  water  to  stand  in  the  saucers  unless  it  be  for  bulb- 
ous roots  or  water-plants,  as  the  Calla,  when  blossoming.  Let 
light  and  air  be  admitted  as  freely  as  is  found  safe.  With  care 
in  this  respect,  any  arrangement  by  which  the  room  can  be 
filled  with  the  steam  of  clear  water  twice  a  week,  for  a  few 
hours  at  a  time,  until  it  moistens  the  leaves,  will  preserve  the 
plants  in  perfect  health.  For  this  purpose,  a  flexible  steam- 
tube,  that  will  fit  on  to  the  steam-tube  of  a  kitchen  boiler-cover, 
may  be  bought  for  about  twenty  cents  a  foot.  If,  however, 
they  are  in  the  parlor,  this  can  not  be  done,  and,  whether  there 
be  dust  or  not,  showering  or  dipping  will  be  essential,  or  the 
more  tedious  process  of  washing  each  plant  leaf  by  leaf  with  a 
soft  sponge. 

All  winter  watering  and  washing  of  plants  should  be  done 
in  the  morning,  or  at  least  when  the  heat  is  rising  ;  but  the 
steam  may  be  let  in  at  night,  and,  if  desired,  form  an  impor- 
tant part  of  the  heating  medium  during  that  time. 

Upon  the  south  side  of  any  dwelling  a  conservatory  or  plant- 
room  may  be  made,  in  which  plants  will  grow  and  bloom  finely 
through  the  winter  with  no  more  artificial  heat  than  may  be 
afforded  by  a  register  from  the  adjoining  room,  and  the  occa- 
sional use  of  steam  as  above  directed.  For  such  a  room  or 
conservatory  the  sashes  should  be  glazed  on  both  sides,  about 
an  inch  space  intervening  between  the  panes ;  and,  as  this 
double  glazing  makes  the  sashes  heavy,  provision  for  admit- 
ting air  should  be  made  by  having  one  or  two  of  them  short, 
and  arranged  to  slide  horizontally. 

No  shutters  are  needed,  but  shades  will  be  found  essential ; 
for,  if  the  full  sunlight  be  admitted,  the  oft-repeated  and  great 
fluctuations  of  temperature  between  noon  and  midnight,  or  be- 
tween the  warmer  and  colder  days  of  winter,  will  forbid  success, 
except  with  the  very  hardiest  plants.  An  equable  but  grad- 
ually advancing  temperature  must  by  all  means  be  secured. 

If  a  cheap  green-house  is  desired,  one  may  be  built  precise- 
ly as  directed  for  a  cold  grapery,  page  355.  Arrange  the 
"  staging"  for  your  plants,  consisting  of  shelves,  placed  stair 
fashion,  six  inches  wide,  and  varying  from  seven  to  ten  inches 
high,  leaving  a  broad  platform  toward  the  back  wall,  upon 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


475 


which  the  larger  plants  may  be  set.  Place  other  shelves,  as 
may  be  found  convenient,  along  the  front,  or  in  any  spare  spaqe, 
for  smaller  plants  or  cuttings. 

It  may  be  heated  by  a  small  common  brick  flue  running  en- 
tirely around  it  under  the  staging,  rising  a  little  as  it  goes, 
and  connecting  with  a  chimney  at  the  end.  If  the  draught  is 
insufficient,  it  may  be  increased  by  a  pretty  high  wooden  ex- 
tension of  the  chimney,  to  be  well  secured  against  the  wind. 
If  preferred,  the  heating  apparatus  figured  and  described  below 
may  be  introduced. 


Fig.  SOT. 


a.  A  small  copper  cylinder  furnace,  with  common  stove  draught,  of  which  the  fire-cham- 
ber is  thirteen  inches  deep  and  nine  inches  diameter,  surrounded  by  a  copper  water-cham- 
ber ;  whole  diameter  eleven  inches.  The  draught  and  fire  managed  as  in  a  common  stove. 

&.  The  boiler,  placed  a  little  higher  than  the  furnace.  It  may  be  a  barrel,  or  a  metallic 
vessel,  which  will  radiate  more  heat. 

c.  c.  Iron  circulating  tubes  from  the  water-chamber  to  the  boiler. 

d.  Water-tank,  to  be  kept  filled. 

e.  Supply-pipe  from  tank  to  boiler,  to  be  governed  by  a  floating  ball  or  other  arrange- 
ment in  the  boiler. 

The  above  apparatus,  which  may  cost  some  $10,  was,  I  be- 
lieve, originally  intended  to  be  used  with  tubes  only  a  few 
inches  long,  for  heating  water  for  domestic  uses  ;  but  it  serves 
admirably  for  a  small  green-house,  in  which  it  may  be  all  hid- 
den by  the  staging,  &c.,  except  the  furnace.  Let  the  arrange- 
ment be  such  as  to  make  the  course  of  the  circulating  tubes  as 
direct  as  possible  between  the  water-chamber  and  boiler,  rising 
a  little  toward  the  latter.  The  only  danger  is  of  collapse  from 
exhaustion  of  the  water  in  the  boiler  below  the  mouth  of  the 
upper  tube,  and  this  is  entirely  removed  by  attention  to  filling 
the  tank  regularly,  and  as  often  as  is  necessary.  A  little  ex- 
perience will  enable  you  to  regulate  the  degree  of  fire  to  be 
kept  up.  A  barrel  of  water,  at  a  distance  of  sixteen  to  twenty 


476  AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN". 

feet,  may  be  boiled  in  about  an  hour,  and  an  escape  tube  should 
be  fixed  so  as  to  carry  the  steam  entirely  outside  when  not  re- 
quired for  heating,  &c. 

When  using  it  for  any  purpose  within  the  house,  fix  the  cov- 
ering, &c.,  of  the  boiler  so  that  the  escaping  steam  will  not 
strike  any  plant  directly.  When  it  is  thus  permitted  to  escape 
during  the  night,  your  plants,  on  opening  the  house  in  the 
morning,  will  generally  appear  as  if  covered  with  the  heavy 
dew  of  a  cool  night  in  early  fall.  They  will  not  need  syrin- 
ging, but  perhaps  a  little  care  to  place  any  plants  that  may  be 
disposed  to  suffer  from  moisture  near  to  the  furnace,  where  they 
will  dry  off  quickly.  Let  your  sashes  be  well  glazed ;  cover 
them  with  good  shutters  or  straw  mats,  or  use  double  glazed 
sashes  and  shades,  and  give  attention  to  the  gradual  increase 
of  the  temperature  as  above  directed  for  house  treatment.  Wa- 
ter moderately  in  the  morning  once  or  twice  a  week,  as  may  be 
found  requisite,  rather  giving  too  little  than  too  much  at  any 
one  time.  If  the  temperature  rise  to  70°,  give  air  at  the  back 
ventilators ;  and  if  higher,  admit  a  little  also  at  the  door  or 
lower  ventilators,  or  both. 

The  green-house  is  sometimes  troubled  with  a  small  bright 
red  spider,  which  is  very  injurious  to  the  plants.  Moisture 
prevents  it ;  but  if  it  appear,  the  house  should  be  whitewashed 
while  the  wash  is  still  hot,  mixing  into  each  pailful  about  a 
pound  of  sulphur.  If  aphides  or  other  insects  infest  the  plants, 
close  the  house  carefully,  and  burn  tobacco  in  a  small  furnace 
or  otherwise  in  it,  until  completely  filled  with  the  smoke,  al- 
lowing it  to  remain  thick  for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  ;  then 
open  the  house  and  syringe  it  thoroughly. 

With  the  same  view,  single  plants  may  be  set  in  a  covered 
barrel  containing  tobacco,  which  may  be  rapidly  burned  by 
blowing  through  a  small  draught-hole  left  for  the  purpose  near 
the  bottom  ;  or  the  same  end  may  be  attained  by  setting  a  few 
sticks  around  the  plant,  and  throwing  a  cloth  over  and  around 
it,  burning  the  tobacco  underneath.  For  large  plants  an  um- 
brella may  be  used,  with  a  stick  of  sufficient  length  spliced  for 
the  time  to  its  handle,  and  a  cast-off  skirt,  hooped  if  conven- 
ient, with  the  gathers  taken  out,  run  on  to  its  outer  edge  ;  this 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  477 

being  set  over  the  plant  by  fixing  the  lower  end  of  the  stick  in 
the  earth,  the  tobacco-burning  proceeds. 

Dipping  the  plants  in  tobacco  infusion  or  weak  ley  may  be 
substituted ;  but,  whatever  course  is  adopted,  the  plants  must 
be  dipped  in,  or  showered,  or  syringed  with  clear  water  almost 
immediately  afterward,  and  the  plants  so  treated  will  not  con- 
tinue free  from  these  pests  unless  kept  in  vigorous  health  by 
increased  care. 

If  earth-worms  become  troublesome,  water  the  pots  a  few 
times  with  lime-water. 

In  the  spring,  when  the  plants  are  taken  out  for  the  season, 
clear  them  perfectly  from  dead  leaves,  &c. ;  wash  the  outside 
of  the  pots ;  clean  the  house  thoroughly,  and  let  all  the  gath- 
ered rubbish  be  carefully  burned.  In  the  fall  when  they  are 
taken  in  again,  repeat  these  operations. 

HARDY    SHRUBS. 

TWENTY-FIVE   KINDS. 

All  flowering  shrubs  and  plants  that  bear  their  blossoms 
upon  the  young  growth  of  the  season,  as  the  Althea,  or  August 
flower,  the  Rose,  &c.,  should  be  carefully  and  pretty  closely 
trimmed  every  winter  or  spring.  Others,  that  produce  their 
flowers  on  the  branches  of  the  previous  season's  growth,  should 
only  be  pruned  so  much  as  is  needful  to  secure  compactness 
and  symmetry  of  form. 

1 .  ALMOND  DWARF,  DOUBLE-FLOWERING,  Amygdolus  Per- 
sica.     A  very  showy  early  flowering  shrub.     Raised  from  off- 
shoots or  layers.  » 

2.  BUFFALO  BERRY,  Shepardia  argentea.    This  is  classed 
among  fruit-bearing  shrubs,  but  it  is  also  quite  ornamental. 
Increased  by  layers  or  seeds. 

3.  BURNING  BUSH,  Euonymus  Americanus.    Its  common 
name  is  derived  from  the  profusion  of  bright  red  angular  ber- 
ries which  it  bears  in  the  fall.     Raised  from  seeds  or  layers. 

4.  BUSH  HONEYSUCKLE,  Lonicera.      Several  pretty  pink 
flowering  varieties.     Increased  readily  from  offshoots,  layers, 
or  cuttings. 

5.  CHINESE  WEIGELA,  Weigela  rosea,  W.  amabilis.     A  new 


478  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

hardy  shrub  from  Northern  China,  with  a  profusion  of  single 
rose-colored  flowers,  somewhat  resembling  the  smaller  Rose 
Bay  or  Rhododendron.  Increased  by  offshoots  or  layers. 

6.  DEUTZIA,  Large-flowering,  Deutzia  scabra ;  Small-flow- 
ering, Deutzia  gracilis.    These  very  pretty  shrubs  are  of  simi- 
lar habit  in  every  respect,  except  the  size  of  their  blossoms  and 
growth.     Their  abounding  pure  white  flowers  resemble  a  mul- 
titude of  snow-drops  hung  gracefully  upon  the  branches,  one 
of  which  might  well  suffice  to  form  a  bridal  wreath.    Increased 
from  offshoots,  layers,  or  cuttings. 

7.  FALSE  INDIGO,  Amorpha  fruticosa.     A  wild  shrub  of 
Pennsylvania,  bearing  spikes  of  blue  flowers  in  July.     In- 
creased by  layers,  cuttings,  or  seeds. 

8.  FLOWERING  CURRANT,  Rocky  Mountain  Currant ;  Ribes 
aureum,  Golden  Flowering  ;  Atro  sanguineum,  Scarlet.     Very 
showy  shrubs,  that  are  increased  by  layers  or  cuttings,  and  al- 
most too  readily  from  offshoots. 

9.  FORSYTHIA,  CHINESE,  Forsytliia  viridissima.     A  showy 
early-flowering  shrub,  its  branches  seeming  ruffled  with  the 
abundance  of  its  curious  crumpled  yellow  blossoms.     The  foli- 
age which  comes  after  the  flowers  is  of  a  fine  deep  green,  and 
the  whole  plant  ornamental.     Increased  by  offshoots,  layers,  or 
cuttings. 

10.  FRINGE -TREE,  Rims   cotinus,  Venetian  sumach.     A 
shrub  rather  curious  than  pretty. 

11.  FRINGE-TREE,  THE  AMERICAN,  Chionanthus  Virginica. 
Common  about  New  York  and  southward.    Bearing  a  profusion 
of  white  fringe-like  flowers  in  the  spring.     Increased  by  off- 
shoots or  layers. 

12.  GLOBE  FLOWER,  Kerria  japonica.     A  showy  yellow 
flowering  shrub  of  willowy  growth,  spreading  so  much  from  the 
roots  as  often  to  be  deemed  a  pest. 

13.  LILAC,  COMMON  AND  PERSIAN,  Purple,  White,  Syringa 
grandiflora,  Persica.    Well-known  flowering  shrubs.    All  are 
increased  by  offshoots  or  layers.     The  common  white  and  the 
Persian,  both  white  and  purple,  are  worthy  of  more  extended 
cultivation. 

14.  MAY- APPLE,  Azalea  nudiflora.    Known  also  as  "  Hon- 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  479 

eysuckle,"  "  Pinxter  Blomache,"  and  "  Swamp  Pink."  There 
are  many  hardy  varieties  of  these  pretty  shrubs,  all  which  may 
be  increased  from  layers  or  seeds.  Prune  closely,  or  cut  them 
clean  down  if  transplanting  them  from  the  swamps  or  woods. 

15.  MEZEREUM,  Daphne  mezereum.     Except  the  wild  Yel- 
low-root and  the  Leather-wood,  this  is  the  earliest  shrub  that 
puts  forth.     Its  blossoms  are  purplish,  showy,  and  very  fragrant. 
Increased  freely  from  its  pretty  red  berries,  if  sown  as  soon  as 
they  drop.     It  should  have  a  deep,  dry,  loamy  soil. 

16.  OSAGE  ORANGE,  Madura  aurantica.     A  thorny  shrub, 
with  foliage  and  worthless  fruit  resembling  the  orange.     It  is 
ornamental,  but  is  chiefly  used  for  hedges,  which,  when  made, 
should  always  be  trimmed  pyramidally — that  is,  broad  at  the 
bottom,  and  gradually  narrowing  to  the  top,  otherwise  the  over- 
shadowing top  will  kill  the  undergrowth  and  spoil  the  beauty 
of  the  hedge.     Increased  by  seeds,  layers,  and  cuttings. 

17.  PRIVET,  PRIM,  Ligustrum  vulgare.     A  small,  pretty 
semi -evergreen  shrub,  used  for  ornamental  hedges  or  singly. 
Increased  from  offshoots,  layers,  or  cuttings,  planted  in  the  fall. 

18.  ROSES,  Rosa  Damascena,  &c.     Annual  Roses  bloom 
but  once  a  year,  in  spring  or  early  summer,  and  hence  are  often 
called  June  Roses.     Autumnal  and  ever-blooming  Roses  blos- 
som most  heavily  at  this  season,  but  bloom  again  more  or  less 
freely,  according  to  soil,  climate,  and  treatment,  throughout 
the  summer  and  fall,  which  gives  them  their  peculiar  value. 
The  fragrance  of  the  Annual  Roses,  as  a  class,  is  very  distinct 
from  the  perfume  of  the  old  Monthly  or  the  more  tender  and 
highly-scented  Tea  Roses,  &c.,  and  it  has  been  so  long  con- 
nected with  recurring  spring  or  opening  summer  that  it  is 
highly  esteemed,  not  only  for  its  intrinsic  character,  but  also 
for  its  pleasant  associations.     Many  of  the  stronger-growing 
autumnal  Roses  are  of  similar  odor,  and,  though  blooming  in 
late  summer  or  fall,  bring  back,  as  we  gather  them,  all  the  fresh- 
ness of  the  opening  season.     The  kinds  named  below  are  se- 
lected from  various  classes  of  Roses  known  as  Bourbons,  Per- 
petuals,  Remontants,  Hybrids,  &c.,  &c.,  the  distinctions  between 
which  are  -arbitrary,  and  unintelligible  to  all  but  the  florist  or 
amateur,  and  are  therefore  entirely  disregarded. 


480  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

ANNUAL  EOSES. 

EIGHTEEN    VARIETIES. 
DARK. 

Tuscany,  Black  Tuscany,  dark  velvety  purple. 
Rivers'  George  IV.  (pillar),  rich  violet-crimson. 
Dutch  Velvet,  bright  carmine. 
Gloire  de  Colmar,  deep  crimson. 

ROSE    COLOR. 

Maiden,  deep  rose. 

Moss,  Common  Blush,  rose. 

Moss,  Crested,  rose. 

Cabbage  Provence,  rose. 

Coup  d'Hebe  (pillar),  bright  pink. 

YELLOW. 

Persian  Yellow,  golden  color  (not  fragrant). 

Harrison,  bright  straw  color. 

Madam  Stolz,  pale  straw  color. 

Fortune's  Yellow,  yellow,  tinged  with  red — a  free  bloomer. 

WHITE,    CREAMY. 

Unique,  or  White  Provence,  white. 

Clementine,  pure  white. 

Count  Plater,  cream  color. 

Bouquet  (tout  fait),  pillar,  creamy  white,  clustered,  and  very  fragrant. 

STRIPED. 

Tout  Parfait,  white  varied  with  rose  and  crimson ;  the  best  known  striped 


EVER-BLOOMING  AND  AUTUMNAL  EOSES. 

THIRTY   VARIETIES. 

Agrippina,  bright  scarlet. 

Giant  of  the  Battles,  glowing  scarlet. 

Jules  Margottin,  bright  scarlet. 

Count  de  Paris,  bright  crimson. 

Prince  Albert,  crimson  purple. 

Edward  Jesse,  deep  purplish-crimson. 

Paul  Joseph,  rosy-crimson. 

Bouquet  de  Flore,  deep  carmine. 

La  Keine,  brilliant  glossy  rose  color ;  large. 

Madam  Ory,  bright  rose;  mossy. 

Belmont  (pillar),  bright  rose  (a  fac  simile  of  the  old  China  Monthly). 

Prince  Leon,  bright  cherry. 


AMERICAN   HOME  GARDEN.  481 

Baronne  Prevost  (pillar),  brilliant  rose  color. 
Lady  Alice  Peel,  rosy-carmine. 
Robin  Hood  (pillar),  rosy- carmine. 
Dr.  Marx,  bright  rosy-carmine. 
Bernard,  salmon-pink. 

Hermosa,  pale  rose ;  known  sometimes  as  the  Monthly  Cabbage  Rose,  com- 
mon, but  one  of  the  finest  of  roses. 
Odorata,  old  tea-scented,  light  pink. 
Rivers',  rose  shaded  with  buff. 
William  Griffiths,  bright  lilac-rose. 
Souvenir  de  Malmaisou,  pale  flesh  color;  large. 
Madam  Bosanquet,  light  flesh  color. 
Eliza  Sauvage,  pale  yellow,  orange  centre. 
Solfatarre,  sulphur  yellow ;  very  fragrant. 
Lamarque,  very  pale  straw  color. 
Devoniensis,  creamy  white. 
Acidalie  (pillar),  white. 
Eliza  Balcombe,  white,  blooming  in  clusters. 
Eponine,  pure  white ;  clusters. 

Annual  roses  are  increased  by  offshoots  or  by  layers.  Most 
of  the  kinds  throw  up  the  former  too  freely,  but  the  Moss,  the 
Maiden,  and  some  other  valuable  kinds  require  careful  layering 
in  a  warm,  sandy  soil,  or  in  compost  No.  2,  which  may  be  per- 
formed either  in  fall  or  early  spring,  or  in  June  upon  the  young 
growth  of  the  season. 

Of  the  Autumnal  and  Ever-blooming  Roses,  all  may  be  in- 
creased by  layers  ;  some  throw  up  offshoots  as  freely  as  the  An- 
nuals, and  the  more  delicate  kinds  may  be  readily  raised  from 
cuttings.  Some  of  them  are  hardy  any  where,  but  others  re- 
quire banking  with  earth  or  careful  coating  with  straw  north 
of  Philadelphia,  and  a  few,  as  Solfatarre  and  Devoniensis,  even 
somewhat  south  of  that  point.  Wherever  this  is  necessary, 
the  best  and  most  convenient  mode  will  generally  be  to  bend 
the  whole  plant  down  and  cover  it  with  the  common  earth  six 
or  eight  inches  deep.  Open  and  set  them  into  place  early  in 
the  spring,  and  prune  carefully  and  pretty  closely. 

Autumnal  and  Ever-blooming  Roses,  in  order  to  secure  the 
highest  success  in  their  summer  and  fall  flowering,  require  to 
be  managed  with  some  care,  otherwise  their  heavy  spring  crop 
of  blossoms  will  so  far  exhaust  them  that  but  few  will  be  sub- 
sequently yielded.  If,  however,  certain  selected  bushes  be  pre- 

A. 


482  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

vented  from  blooming  in  spring  or  early  summer  by  plucking 
the  incipient  buds,  or  by  deferring  their  winter  pruning  until 
the  leaf  is  putting  forth,  and  then  cutting  them  closely  back, 
they  will-  probably  furnish  abundance  of  blossoms  late  in  sum- 
mer or  in  the  fall.  Transplanting  or  root  pruning,  with  cut- 
ting back  in  the  fall  or  very  early  spring,  will  be  found  con- 
ducive to  the  same  result ;  but  any  or  all  of  these  means  should 
be  accompanied  by  high  compost  or  liquid  manuring  and  clean 
and  careful  culture.  For  Running  Roses,  see  page  484. 

Rose-bushes  are  infested  with  various  insects,  particularly 
the  Aphis  and  Scale  insect,  for  which  the  remedies  directed 
pages  264  and  265  may  be  used.  The  Rose  wrorm  or  slug,  larva 
of  Selandria  (Blennocampa)  Rosae,  is  still  more  injurious.  It  is 
a  small,  greenish,  smooth,  semitransparent  worm,  resembling 
the  Cherry  slug,  page  275,  about  half  an  inch  long,  found  often 
in  June  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaves  of  rose-bushes,  which 
it  eats  until  only  the  veins  and  the  thin  skin  of  the  upper  side 
of  the  leaf  are  left.  They  do  not  generally  eat  over  the  whole 
leaf,  but  spot  it ;  but  in  moist  seasons  they  abound,  and  will 
then  sweep  the  rose  foliage  as  if  fire  had  scorched  it. 

Sowing  slaked  lime,  or  dry  ashes,  or  sulphur  upon  the 
bushes,  or  syringing  them  with  weak  ley  or  whale-oil  soap  may 
destroy  the  worm,  but  vigorous  health  in  the  plants  generally 
prevents  it. 

19.  ROSE  OF  SHARON,  Hibiscus  Syriacus,  known  also  as 
Althea,  or  August  Flower.     Increased  from  layers,  cuttings,  or 
seeds. 

20.  SCARLET  QUINCE,  Cydonia  japonica  (formerly  Pyrus 
japonica).     Increased  by  cuttings  of  the  root  or  by  layers, 
and  sparingly  by  offshoots.     Extremely  showy  and  of  pretty 
foliage. 

21.  SPIRE  A,  Reeves's,  Double-blossomed,  &c.,  Spirea  Eeve- 
sii,  prunifolia  flore  pleno,  &c.      A  class   of  pretty  white- 
flowering  shrubs,  spreading  freely  by  offshoots,  or  increased  by 
layers. 

22.  SNOWBALL,  Guelder  Rose,  Viburnam  opulus.    An  old 
and  well-known  shrub ;  increased  from  offshoots,  and  still  more 
readily  by  layers. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  483 

23.  SNOWBERRY,  Symphoria  racemosa.     A  simple  shrub, 
bearing  bunches  of  white  berries  until  late  in  the  season.     Its 
numerous  offshoots  become  troublesome. 

24.  SYRINGA,  Pliiladelplius  coronarius,  Philadelphus  gran- 
diflora.     The  former  is  universally  known  for  its  fragrance. 
The  latter  has  larger  similar  flowers,  but  lacks  odor.    Increased 
by  offshoots,  layers,  or  cuttings. 

25.  SWEET-SCENTED  SHRUB,  Calycantlms  Icevigatus.     A 
native  of  the  Southern  States,  widely  known  for  its  "  apple"  or 
"  strawberry"-scented  maroon-colored  blossoms.     Increased  by 
offshoots,  layers,  and  with  care  by  cuttings. 

CLIMBING  SHRUBS. 

TWELVE    KINDS. 

All  the  following  climbing  shrubs,  as  well  as- those  for  the 
green-house,  may  be  increased  by  layering  in  the  ordinary  mode, 
or  by  span  layering,  some  by  offshoots,  and  most  of  them,  also, 
by  cuttings  planted  in  a  cold  bed  in  October,  and  protected  a 
little  through  winter,  and  shaded  and  aired  through  spring ; 
or  in  the  green-house  at  any  time  from  November  to  April ; 
or  in  a  light  hot  bed,  made  for  the  purpose,  in  the  spring  or 
summer,  and  kept  carefully  watered,  and  shaded,  and  aired 
after  the  cuttings  are  planted. 

1.  BITTERSWEET,  Celastrus  scandens.   A  common  but  beau- 
tiful winding  wild  climber. 

2.  CLEMATIS,  White,  or  Virgin's  Bower,  Blue,  Sweet-scent- 
ed, &c.,  Clematis  Virginica,  cerulea,  flammula,  &c.     Slender 
and  graceful  tendril  climbers  ;  the  first  a  hardy  wild  plant,  the 
last  an  exotic,  tender  at  the  North,  but  of  delightful  fragrance. 
Clematis  Sieboldii  is  a  fine  Japanese  species,  also  tender. 

3.  HONEYSUCKLE,  Scarlet  Trumpet,  Yellow  Trumpet,  Chi- 
nese Evergreen,  &c.,  Lonicera  semper vir ens,  flava,  Sinensis, 
&c.     Ornamental  and  perfectly  hardy  winding  climbers ;  the 
last,  Sinensis,  being  of  beautiful  foliage  and  excellent  fra- 
grance, almost  an  evergreen. 

4.  IVY,  Irish,  European,  Hedera  Hibernica  and  H.  helix. 
A  creeping,  rooting  climber,  with  deep  green  glossy  leaves, 
sometimes  planted  to  run  on  church  edifices,  but  having,  at 


484  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

the  North,  a  sorry  appearance  when  winter  has  browned  the 
foliage.     It  is  pretty  in  pots  as  a  house  plant. 

5.  IVY,  AMERICAN,  or  Virginian  Creeper,  Ampehpsis  quin- 
quefolia.     A  very  fine  ornamental  rooting  climber,  growing 
wild  over  a  wide  region.     It  is  often  found  in  company  with 
the  Poison  Vine,  Rhus  Toxicodendron,  and  not  unfrequently 
mistaken  for  it,  yet  is  easily  distinguishable,  each  leaf  having 
Jive  leaflets,  rather  narrow  and  toothed,  while  the  Poison  Vine 
has  but  three,  which  are  broader  and  smooth-edged. 

6.  JASMINE,  White,  Sweet,  &c.,  Jasminum  officinale,  &c.   A 
simple,  fragrant,  and  pretty  runner,  but  requires  training,  hav- 
ing neither  tendrils  nor  other  effective  means  of  self-support. 
At  the  North  it  is  only  half  hardy  ;  it  may  be  laid  down,  and 
either  covered  with  straw  or  banked  with  earth. 

7.  MILK  VINE,  Virginia  Silk,  Periploca  Grceca.     A  wild 
climber,  with  rather  pretty,  clean  foliage  and  purple  blossoms, 
abounding  south  of  New  Jersey. 

8.  PASSION  FLOWER,  Blue  Hardy,  Passiflora  cerulea.     A 
free-growing  slender  tendril  climber,  called  hardy,  requiring 
protection  from  the  severity  of  winter  north  of  Philadelphia, 
but  springing  up  from  the  root  annually,  and  blooming  freely. 
Its  flowers,  like  all  of  its  class,  are  peculiar  and  striking. 

9.  ROSES,  Running,  Rosa.    Belmont  (see  page  480) ;  Prai- 
rie Queen,  bright  rose-color  ;  Laura  Davoust,  white,  becoming 
pink ;  Baltimore  Belle,  delicate  blush,  large  clusters,  not  fra- 
grant ;  Garland,  white — the  well-known  old  white  trellis  Rose  ; 
Rampant,  pure  white  ;  blooms  late. 

There  are  many  other  fine  varieties,  tender  at  the  North, 
which,  however,  may  be  successfully  grown  if  laid  down  for 
winter  like  tender  grape-vines,  and  covered  thoroughly  with 
earth. 

10.  TRUMPET  CREEPER,  Common,  Chinese  Great  Flowering, 
&c.,  Bignonia  radicans,  grandiflora,  &c.     Very  strong,  luxu- 
riant-growing rooting  climbers.     The  last  is  somewhat  new, 
having  large  dull  orange-colored  blossoms.     The  flowers  of  the 
Common  are  scarlet,  and  more  compact. 

11.  VINE,  Grape,  Vitis.     The  value  of  the  grape  as  a  fruit 
is  perhaps  leading  us  to  overlook  the  beauty  of  the  vine  as  a 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  485 

climber,  and  to  forget  its  fragrance,  in  which  it  is  almost  sin- 
gular among  our  wild  climbing  shrubs.  It  is  really  one  of  the 
very  finest  of  climbers,  perfectly  hardy  and  vigorous ;  and,  when 
left  to  the  complete  abandon  of  its  natural  growth,  there  is  an 
extreme  wealth  of  picturesque  beauty  in  its  graceful  convolu- 
tions, as  well  as  in  the  profusion  and  richness  of  its  diversified 
forms  of  foliage,  while  no  perfume  floats  upon  the  summer  air 
more  delicious  than  the  odor  of  its  blossoms. 

Its  varieties,  both  fruit -bearing  and  fruitless,  are  numerous  ; 
and  the  wild,  fruitless,  gash-leaved  vine  ( Vitis  riparia)  is  pe- 
culiarly fragrant. 

12.  WISTARIA,  Blue  Chinese,  Wistaria  Sinensis.  A  per- 
fectly hardy  and  very  rapid  winding  runner,  having  a  peculiar 
pair  of  hooks,  turning  backward,  at  each  joint,  which  some- 
times aid  its  ascent.  It  bears  a  perfect  burden  of  large  pen- 
dent racemes  of  pale  lilac  or  blue  flowers,  of  a  peculiar  and 
delicate  fragrance,  which  come  out  before  the  foliage  expands 
in  the  spring.  The  absence  of  green  leaves  with  the  blossoms 
is  a  drawback  upon  its  beauty  which  in  some  localities  might 
be  obviated  by  arranging  it  so  as  to  intermingle  its  growth 
with  an  evergreen,  though  its  own  foliage  is  fine  when  it  ap- 
pears. If  the  young  shoots  are  nipped  at  about  two  feet  long  in 
June  or  July,  a  considerable  second  crop  of  blossoms  will  be 
yielded  in  August. 

Many  of  these  climbers  may  be  planted  to  run  upon  trees, 
either  deciduous  or  evergreen.  They  show  finely  in  combina- 
tion with  either,  but  those  which  wind  should  not  be  set  by 
trees  while  young,  lest  they  cut  in  and  destroy  them.  They 
may  also  be  made  to  overrun  rocks,  or  rough  stone  fences 
which  it  is  desired  to  blind. 

Artificial  rock*-work  is  sometimes  made  for  ornament  by 
throwing  together  loose  stones  or  rocks  in  such  forms  as  fancy 
dictates,  and  mixing  with  them  just  enough  of  leaf-mould  and 
loam  to  afford  support  to  small  plants.  For  these  the  various 
kinds  of  Stonecrop  may  be  used,  interspersed  with  Columbines, 
Wood  Anemones,  &c.  If  it  be  desired  to  cover  them,  plant 
some  of  the  above  climbers,  or  Petunias,  Portulacca,  &c.,  among 
them.  The  plant  known  in  European  agriculture  as  Esparsette, 


48(5  AMEEICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 

or  Saintfoin,  is  also  useful  in  this  way,  its  flowers  and  foliage 
being  quite  pretty,  and  its  roots  running  so  that  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  destroy  them.  Hops  answer  a  similar  purpose. 

EVERGREEN  TREES  AND  SHRUBS. 

FOURTEEN   KINDS. 

1.  ARBOR  VIT^],  American  (Savin),  Thuya  Occidentals  ; 
Chinese,  Thuya  Orientalis  ;  Siberian,  Thuya  Siberica.     All 
pretty  evergreens,  often  used  for  hedges ;  but  the  Chinese  is 
rather  tender,  and  unsightly  in  winter. 

2.  BALSAM  FIR,  American,  Picea  balsamea.     A  common 
but  fine  tree. 

3.  BOX-TREE,  Buxus  arborescens,  &c.     A  fine  ornamental 
evergreen,  with  silver  or  golden  striped  varieties,  resembling 
somewhat  the  common  garden  box,  but  of  freer  and  larger 
growth,  and  not  so  hardy.     Increased  by  layers. 

4.  CEDAR,  INDIAN,  Cedrus  deodara.     A  fine  drooping  ev- 
ergreen, growing  late  in  the  fall,  and  often  injured  by  the  cold 
of  winter  at  the  North. 

5.  CEDAR,  RED,  Juniperus  Virginiana.     Too  common  to 
be  esteemed  as  it  deserves.     Good  for  ornamental  hedges,  and 
excellent  for  shelter. 

6.  CEDAR  OF  LEBANON,  Cedrus  Libani  ;  Silver-leaved,  Ce- 
drus argentea.     Fine  trees,  but  of  slow  growth.     The  Cedar 
of  Lebanon  is,  however,  worthy  of  cultivation  for  its  associa- 
tions.    Its  seeds  are  borne  in  fine  large  cones. 

7.  COTONEASTER,  Small-leaved,  Cotoneaster  microphylla. 
A  small,  pretty  shrub.     Increased  by  layers. 

8.  HOLLY,  American,  Ilex  opaca  ;  European,  Ilex  aquifo- 
lium.     The  European  Holly  has  a  very  deep  green  foliage,  and 
the  variegated  kinds  are  pretty  and  desirable  wherever  the  win- 
ters are  not  too  severe.     They  are  grafted  upon  stocks  of  the 
green  varieties,  generally  by  tongue-grafting,  a  little  «xtra  care 
being  used  in  the  operation. 

9.  MAHONIA,  Holly-leaved,  Mahonia  aquifolia.     A  showy 
shrub  three  or  four  feet  high,  especially  gay  in  the  fall,  but 
having  its  foliage  injured  in  the  winter  at  the  North,  unless 
covered  from  the  sun..    Increased  by  layers. 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN.  487 

10.  PINE,  White  or  Weymouth,  Pinus  strobus  ;  California, 
Pinus  Bentliamana  ;  Grand  Pacific,  Pinus  Lambertiana,  often 
grows  two  hundred  feet  high  ;  Long-leaved,  Pinus  larico  ;  Nut, 
Pinus  cembra,  growing  only  fifteen  to  twenty  feet,  having  a 
large  cone  with  edible  seeds. 

There  are  many  other  varieties  of  Pines,  several  of  them  new 
and  very  beautiful. 

11.  SPRUCE,  Hemlock  (common  Hemlock),  Abies  Canaden- 
sis  ;  Norway,  Abies  excelsa.     Among  the  noblest  of  evergreen 
trees.    The  former,  when  tasseled  with  its  young  spring  growth, 
is  peculiarly  beautiful. 

12.  JAPAN  DOGWOOD,  Euonymus  japonicus.     Pretty,  but 
tender  at  the  North.    Increased  by  offshoots,  layers,  or  cuttings. 

13.  LAUREL,  Kalmia  latifolia.     The  beautiful  wild  Laurel 
of  our  woods,  which,  as  it  disappears  before  cultivation,  should 
be  transferred  to  the  lawn  and  garden.     Its  unfading  green- 
ness, and  the  composition  of  its  blossom-tuft  by  the  union  of  an 
indefinite  number  of  star-like  flower-buds,  each  perfect  in  itself, 
render  it  by  no  means  an  inappropriate  floral  emblem  of  our 
national  Union.     Increased  by  layers  or  seeds. 

14.  ROSE  BAY,  Catawba  Rose  Bay,  Rhododendron  Cataw- 
biense  •    Great  Laurel  or  Larger  Rose  Bay,  Hhododendron 
maximum.      Fine  flowering  wild  swamp  shrubs,  requiring, 
when  cultivated,  some  shade  and  moisture.     The  first,  which  is 
the  finest  of  its  tribe,  may  need  a  little  winter  protection  in 
certain  localities.    They  thrive  in  leaf  mould,  or  peat,  or  sweet- 
ened swamp  muck.     Increased  by  layers,  and  sometimes  by 
seeds. 

SHADE   AND   ORNAMENTAL   TREES. 

TWENTY-FOUR    KINDS. 

Almost  all  our  shade  and  ornamental  trees,  as  well  as  shrubs 
and  evergreens,  may  be  raised  from  seed  by  those  who  have  pa- 
tience to  wait  for  their  growth. 

If  possible,  the  drying  and  storing  of  their  seeds  should  be 
avoided.  All  those  which  are  naturally  shed  in  the  fall,  as 
chestnuts,  acorns,  maple  and  ash  "  keys,"  &c.,  should  either  be 
sown  in  the  fall,  or  mixed  with  earth  and  buried  out  of  doors 


488  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

until  spring ;  and  those  which  usually  retain  their  own  cover- 
ing until  spring,  as  the  Catalpa,  the  Hemlock,  the  various 
Pines,  the  Locust,  the  Tulip- tree,  &c.,  may  be  sown  at  the 
earliest  opening  of  spring  directly  from  the  tree,  or  may  be  col- 
lected in  the  fall  or  winter,  and  kept  in  their  pods  or  cones  till 
wanted. 

Some  seeds  of  trees  and  shrubs  are  difficult  to  sprout,  as  the 
Locust  and  some  others,  which,  when  not  sown  until  spring,  are 
benefited  by  being  first  scalded  by  pouring  hot  water  upon 
them  while  stirred,  and  suffering  them  to  cool.  Others,  as  the 
seeds  of  the  Rose  and  the  various  berry-bearing  Thorns,  require 
to  be  sown  or  buried  in  their  first  season,  but  do  not  vegetate 
until  the  second  year. 

Evergreens  are  apt  to  be  extremely  feeble  when  they  first 
spring  from  seed,  and  require  special  care.  All  the  seedlings, 
whether  of  evergreens  or  deciduous  trees,  should  be  transplanted 
carefully  at  one  or  two  years  old,  and  subsequently  every  third 
or  fourth  year,  having  their  roots  shortened  at  each  removal,  to 
prepare  them  for  final  setting  out.  See  page  492. 

FORMING  AND   PRUNING. 

The  proper  formation  and  pruning  of  the  head  of  young 
shade  and  ornamental  trees  is  of  great  importance.  We  do  not 
look  for  our  return  in  fruit,  but  in  beauty  from  these,  and  if  the 
main  limbs  are  permitted  to  start  at  acute  angles,  so  that  as 
they  enlarge  they  will  touch  and  rub,  the  tree,  when  of  full  size, 
or  before,  will  become  diseased,  and  liable  to  be  split  in  pieces 
by  a  single  gust  of  wind.  It  may  be  well  to  bolt  them  strong- 
ly when  they  begin  to  crack,  as  is  sometimes  done  to  save  fine 
shade-trees  in  our  city  streets,  but  it  is  much  better  to  prevent 
the  necessity  for  such  a  course.  You  may  do  what  you  will 
with  them  while  they  are  young.  Never,  therefore,  let  the 
principal  branches  spring  as  the  fingers  spring  from  the  palm, 
but  compel  them  to  put  forth  rather  as  the  arms  stand  out 
from  the  shoulders  when  the  hands  are  raised  above  the  head. 

Except  in  the  case  of  the  grape-vine,  it  is  not  common  to  at- 
tempt to  combine  profit  with  ornament  in  tree-planting,  yet 
certainly  many  varieties  of  fruit-trees  are  highly  ornamental, 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  489 

and  some  of  them  are  also,  on  various  accounts,  well  suited  to 
the  lawn.  Among  others,  that  bearing  the  rather  small,  pretty 
sweet  apple,  called  by  Duhamel  the  "  Pigeonnette"  which  is  a 
beautifully-formed  tree,  with  clean,  expanding  arms  and  free 
habit,  and,  though  the  fruit  may  be  kept  into  winter,  yet  it  be- 
gins to  ripen  early,  and  is  admirably  adapted  to  the  use  of 
children,  as  it  falls  gradually  from  the  tree. 

Along  our  country  roads,  too,  fruit-trees  might  to  some  ex- 
tent be  properly  planted,  not  only  for  ornament,  but  use,  to  be 
reckoned,  like  our  wild  fruits,  as  common  property. 

Besides  those  named  above,  our  woods  furnish  a  great  variety 
of  fine  ornamental  trees,  which  are  easily  obtained.  The  Chest- 
nut, Castanea  Americana  ;  the  various  Oaks,  particularly  the 
White  Oak,  Quercus  alba,  and  the  Rock  Oak,  Quercus  monta- 
na,  both  yielding  also  solid  and  useful  timber ;  the  American 
Linden  or  Basswood,  Tilia  glabra  ;  the  Wild  Cherry,  Prunus 
Virginiana  ;  the  Hop  Hornbeam  or  Ironwood,  Ostrya  Vir- 
ginica  ;  the  Shad  Flower,  Aroma  botryapium,  and  many  oth- 
ers, which  the  following  list  does  not  include. 

1.  ASH,  Weeping,  Fraxinus  pendula.    A  curious  and  pret- 
ty ash,  readily  increased  by  side  grafting  upon  the  common 
kinds. 

2.  BEECH,  Copper-colored  or  Purple,  Fagus purpurea  ;  Red, 
Fagus  ferruginea  ;  Common,  Fagus  sylvatica.     The  two  lat- 
ter are  common  in  our  woods,  and  are  clean  and  beautiful  for^- 
est  trees.     The  first,  which  is  curious,  may  be  grafted  upon 
them  by  tongue  or  side  grafting. 

3.  BIRCH,  White,  Betula  alba  ;  Red,  Betula  rubra  ;  Yel- 
low, Betula  excelsa ;  Paper,  Betula  papyracea.     All  common, 
abounding,  and  beautiful. 

4.  CATALPA,  or  Cigar-tree,  Catalpa  syringcefolia.    A  fine 
flowering  tree,  easily  raised  from  seeds  sown  in  the  spring. 

5.  CHERRIES,  Large  Double-flowering,  Cerasus  sylvestris 
pleno ;  Weeping,  Cerasus  vulgaris  semperftorens.     May  be 
grafted  on  any  common  kind. 

6.  CHINESE  KOLREUTERIA,  Kolreuteria  paniculata.     A 
pretty  tree,  with  a  profusion  of  yellow  blossoms  in  the  latter 
part  of  summer.     Increased  by  layers. 

X2 


490  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

7.  DOGWOOD,  Cornus  florida,  Common  Dogwood  ;  Cornus 
sericea,  Red  Osier.     Both  pretty,  and  easily  obtained  from  the 
woods. 

8.  ELM,  Ulmus  Americana,  &c.     There  are  many  varieties, 
all  ornamental  and  some  fanciful.     Increased  by  seeds,  layers, 
or  by  grafting  one  kind  upon  another. 

9.  GOLDEN  CHAIN,  Cytisus  laburnam.     A  small  tree,  of 
pretty  foliage  and  rather  weeping  habit,  bearing  large  racemes 
or  hanging  bunches  of  golden-yellow  flowers.     It  is  a  univer- 
sal favorite.     Increased  by  seeds. 

10.  HORSE  CHESTNUT,  JEsculus  liippocastanum.     A  very 
fine  ornamental  tree,  blooming  freely.     The  Buckeye,  ^Esculus 
gldbra,  is  a  rather  smaller  and  more  compact-growing  kind. 
The  Rubicunda  is  a  red-flowering  variety.     The  two  former 
are  increased  from  seed,  and  the  latter  may  be  grafted  upon 
them. 

11.  LARCH,  Pinus  larix.     An  exotic  deciduous  Pine,  near 
akin  to  the  Tamarack  or  Hackmatack  and  the  Red  Larch  of  our 
swamps,  but  thought  by  some  to  be  prettier.     Increased  from 


12.  LOCUST,  Rose-colored,  Robinia  Jiispida ;  Flesh -colored, 
Robinia  viscosa.     Both  of  these  are  pretty,  the  former  espe- 
cially so  when  grafted  high  upon  the  common  locust.    Increased 
by  offshoots.     Robinia  pseudacacia  is  the  common  but  beauti- 
ful and  fragrant  Locust-tree.     Increased  by  seeds,  or  offshoots, 
or  root  cuttings,  which  can  easily  be  transported  to  almost  any 
distance. 

13.  MAGNOLIA,  Magnolia  glauca,  Beaver-tree,  Swamp  Lau- 
rel ;  Magnolia  acuminata,  Cucumber-tree  ;  Magnolia  tripeta- 
la,  Umbrella-tree  ;  Magnolia  grandiflora,  Big  Laurel,  Magno- 
lia.    All  these  are  found  in  swamps  or  woods  south  of  New 
York,  the  last  being  the  large  fragrant  Magnolia  of  the  South. 
There  are  also  several  fine  kinds  from  China,  where  it  is  called 
the  Lily-tree.    Of  these,  or  seedlings  from  them,  Magnolia  con- 
spicua  and  Magnolia  Soulangiana  are  large-flowering  showy  va- 
rieties, blooming  before  the  foliage  appears.    All  are  increased 
by  layers,  and  most  of  them  by  seeds.     They  may  also  be 
grafted  on  the  common  varieties. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  491 

14.  MAPLE,  Red,  Acer  rubra  ;  Sugar,  Acer  saccharinum  • 
Larger,  Acer  major.     The  latter  is  the  European  Sycamore, 
the  two  former  well-known  and  favorite  shade-trees.     All  in- 
crease rapidly  from  seeds. 

15.  MOUNTAIN  ASH,  Sorbus  (or  Pyrus)  aucuparia.      A 
tree  of  pretty  growth  and  foliage,  bearing  numerous  white  blos- 
soms, like  the  Elder,  from  which  large  bunches  of  berries  are 
produced,  that  become  of  a  shining  orange- scarlet  color  in  the 
fall.     Increased  by  seeds  or  common  and  hill-layers. 

16.  MULBERRY,  Morus  rubra.     Common  Red  Mulberry  of 
the  woods.     A  desirable  tree,  where  the  fruit-stain  may  not  be 
objectionable.  -   The  Paper  Mulberry  somewhat  resembles  it  in 
growth,  but  soon  becomes  a  nuisance  from  its  numerous  off- 
shoots.    Morus  Multicaulis  is  also  well  known,  and,  by  some, 
still  better  remembered.     Increased  from  layers,  or  offshoots, 
or  seeds.     Ranks  among  fruits.     See  page  358. 

17.  PAULO WNIA,  Japanese,  Paulownia  imperialis.    A  fine, 
rapid-growing  shade-tree,  with  heart-shaped  leaves,  which, 
upon  young  growth,  sometimes  measure  two  feet  across.     Its 
blossom-buds  are  formed  in  the  fall,  in  spikes,  each  bud  being 
inclosed  in  a  fawn-colored  covering  of  finer  texture  than  the 
finest  doeskin  cloth,  but  are  often  killed  by  the  winter  north 
of  New  York.     Its  flowers,  which  are  put  forth  before  the  fo- 
liage, are  not  unlike  those  of  the  Catalpa  in  general  form  and 
style  of  growth,  but  are  of  a  fine  light  blue,  and  very  fragrant. 
Increased  by  offshoots,  hill-layers,  and  cuttiilgs  of  the  root. 

18.  PEACH,  Double  Blossomed,  Persica  vulgaris  pleno.    A 
very  pretty  pink  rose-like  flower  is  borne  by  this  tree  in  the 
usual  profusion  of  peach  blossoms,  and  sometimes  three  or  four 
angular  fruit  are  produced  from  one  blossom.     Increased  by 
budding  on  peach  or  plum  stocks. 

19.  PEPPERIDGE,  Nyssa  villosa.    A  common  tree,  but  very 
ornamental,  both  in  its  summer  growth,  and  when  the  frost 
makes  its  leaves  vermilion  colored  in  the  fall.    Readily  obtain- 
ed from  the  woods.    It  would  make  ornamental  hedges  of  great 
beauty. 

20.  PRIDE  OF  INDIA,  Melia  azedarach.    A  splendid  flower- 
ing tree  of  the  South,  with  large  divided  leaves,  and  clusters 


492  AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 

of  fragrant  lilac  flowers  at  the  extremities  of  its  branches,  well 
known  in  the  latitudes  to  which  it  is  suited.  Increased  freely 
by  seeds  or  layers. 

21.  SASSAFRAS,  Laurus  sassafras.    A  sweet,  aromatic,  and 
pretty  tree,  worthy  of  a  place  wherever  ornamental  shrubs  are 
planted.     Increased  by  layers,  offshoots,  or  root  cuttings.     It 
can  be  obtained  from  the  woods. 

22.  THORN,  Cratcegus,  cocd7wa,pleno,  Double  Scarlet  Haw- 
thorn.   A  very  delicate  and  pretty  deep  pink  or  scarlet  flower- 
ing thorn.     Increased  by  grafting  on  the  common  Hawthorn. 

23.  TULIP-TREE,  Whitewood,  Liriodendron  tulipifera.  One 
of  the  noblest  and  most  beautiful  of  flowering  trees,  often  cov- 
ering itself  with  its  green  and  orange  blossoms.     When  not 
crowded  its  head  forms  a  handsome  cone,  but  in  the  woods  it 
sometimes  runs  a  clean  column  eighty  feet  high.     Increased 
by  hill-layers  or  by  seeds,  which  seldom  vegetate  until  the 
second  year. 

24.  WILLOW,  Weeping,  &c.?  Salix  Babylonica,  &c.     The 
Weeping  Willow,  the  Golden  Twigged,  and  the  Golden  Flow- 
ering Willows,  and  other  varieties,  are  quite  ornamental.    The 
Osier  Willows  form  an  article  of  commerce.    In  Belgium  they 
are  sometimes  so  planted  as  to  be  mowed  from  year  to  year. 

REMOVING  ORNAMENTAL  TREES,  EVERGREENS,  &c. 

Ornamental  or  forest  trees  or  shrubs  and  evergreens  very 
often  fail  to  live  when  removed,  and  still  oftener  only  just 
live  and  linger  along,  making  but  feeble  growth  for  years.  To 
prevent  this,  and  secure  vigor  as  well  as  life  after  removal, 
some  preparation  is  desirable.  In  all  well-managed  nurseries 
this  preparation  is  given  by  repeatedly  transplanting  trees  of 
this  class,  shortening  their  roots  from  time  to  time,  so  as  to 
limit  the  growth  of  single  strong  roots,  and  increase  and  con- 
centrate fibrous  ones  around  the  collar  and  the  short  main  roots 
proceeding  from  it.  If  we  do  not  form  a  nursery,  but  take  trees 
from  the  woods  and  swamps,  we  may  meet  the  difficulty  either 
by  removing  them  in  the  winter  with  large  masses  of  frozen 
earth,  or  by  cutting  clean  around  the  trees  we  intend  to  remove 
two  or  three  years  before  transplanting  them,  cutting  off  the 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  493 

horizontal  roots  at  such  a  distance  as  may  seem  judicious,  and, 
if  we  find  but  few  of  these,  proceed  farther  and  open  the  trench, 
so  that  the  downward  roots  may  be- partially  or  wholly  cut  off. 
Repeat  and  perfect  the  operation  in  the  following  year  or  years, 
and,  if  it  has  been  skillfully  performed,  your  tree  may  be  re- 
moved without  difficulty  in  the  fall  or  spring  of  the  third  or 
fourth  year. 

If  the  subsoil  be  such  that  you  know  the  roots  do  not  go  far 
down,  as  is  common  in  swamp  trees,  the  root-cutting  may  be 
effected  by  a  single  deep  cut  with  a  spade  around  the  tree  as 
directed  for  root-pruning,  page  255. 

In  preparing  trees  for  transplanting  by  cutting  round  them, 
or  in  their  actual  removal,  it  will  be  found  a  good  general  rule 
to  make  the  diameter  of  the  ball  of  earth  in  the  proportion  of 
one  foot  to  one  inch  diameter  in  the  stem  of  the  tree  at  a  foot 
above  the  collar. 

In  removing  trees,  other  than  evergreens,  from  the  woods,  it 
is  of  great  practical  importance  to  prune  them  closely  at  the 
time  of  transplanting,  cutting  away  from  their  heads  from  one 
third  to  one  half  the  weight,  carefully  shortening  and  opening 
them.  All  the  climbing  shrubs  so  transferred  will  be  benefit- 
ed by  being  cut  down  to  the  ground,  so  that  the  growth  of  the  , 
plant  may  be  entirely  new.  The  same  is  true  of  most  varieties 
of  bush  shrubs,  particularly  the  Azaleas,  Wild  Roses,  and  the 
Laurel  (Kalmia),  which,  though  an  evergreen,  is  in  this  respect 
an  exception  to  its  class. 

This  process  is  not  to  be  rigidly  applied  to  those  plants 
which  we  select'for  the  sake  of  their  stems  already  formed,  but 
it  will  be  found  good  for  most  kinds  and  individuals  from  the 
woods,  and  very  often,  also,  nursery  plants,  particularly  if  they 
have  been  over-forced,  or  are  transplanted  when  in  leaf  and 
wilt  upon  your  hands,  or  from  any  cause  are  weakened  before 
being  reset.  It  also  relieves  from  the  necessity  of  seeking  for 
handsome  plants,  as  they  will  grow  naturally,  and  therefore 
prettily,  when,  having  sufficient  room,  they  grow  anew. 

Evergreens  appear  to  suffer  and  exhaust  with  the  winter. 
Early  spring  is  the  season  of  their  peculiar  weakness,  and  if 
removed  carelessly  or  harshly  then,  there  is  little  hope  of  them. 


494  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

They  should,  therefore,  always  either  be  removed  in  the  winter, 
with  the  frozen  earth  about  them,  or  be  so  prepared  as  that 
their  fibres  will  hold  and  carry  with  them  sufficient  earth  to  se- 
cure success.  It  will  also  be  found  better,  in  general,  to  defer 
their  removal  until  late  in  spring,  say  to  the  last  of  April  or 
May,  and  sometimes  even  to  June,  or  still  later. 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  495 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Brief  Notes  on  Farm  Crops,  with  Table  of  Quantities  of  Seed  required  per 
Acre. — Crop  estimated  by  its  Money  Value,  and  by  its  Capacity  to  support 
Animal  Life. — Table  of  average  Product  of  various  Farm  Crops,  and  of 
their  chemical  Constituents. — Remarks  explanatory  of  the  Table. 

BRIEF  NOTES  ON  FARM  CROPS. 
QUANTITY   OF   SEED. 

THE  quantity  of  seed  which  it  may  be  desirable  or  expedient 
to  sow  upon  an  acre  varies  materially  with  the  particular  kind, 
the  state  of  the  land,  or  the  period  of  the  season  at  which  it  is 
sown.  The  relative  size  of  the  seeds,  say  the  number  they 
will  count  to  the  peck,  with  the  mode,  of  plant-growth,  as 
branching  or  otherwise,  allowing  a  little  for  increased  risk  of 
loss  in  small  seeds,  generally  determines  the  first  point. 

Of  the  grains,  buckwheat  is  usually  sown  thinnest,  and 
needs  to  be  varied  only  as  on  poor  or  rich  land ;  but,  contrary 
to  the  general  rule  with  other  grain,  it  should  be  sown  thicker 
on  rich  land  than  poor,  for  the  reason  that  it  will  otherwise 
branch  considerably,  and  be  difficult  to  cradle  without  loss ; 
while,  being  more  thinly  sown  on  poor  land,  it  will  still  yield 
as  much  as  the  soil  is  capable  of  producing.  Winter  grain 
sown  early,  or  at  least  seasonably,  may  be  sown  thinner  on 
rich  land  than  on  poor,  because  on  the  former  it  will  grow  and 
branch  vigorously,  and  it  is  plain  that  one  bushel  of  seed,  giv- 
ing two  ears  from  a  plant,  is  equal  to  two  bushels  giving  only 
one  ear ;  but  on  poor  land  the  plant  will  not  branch  much,  and 
it  is  therefore  desirable  to  increase  somewhat  the  quantity  of 
seed  sown.  Very  late-sown  winter  grain,  and  all  spring-sown 
grains,  often  lack  opportunity  to  branch  and  strengthen  before 
they  are  driven  up  to  seed  by  the  prompt  warmth  of  the  open- 
ing spring,  and  on  this  account  they  should  be  sown  more 
thickly  than  might  otherwise  be  necessary,  due  allowance, 
however,  being  still  made  for  the  different  condition  of  the 
land  on  which  they  may  be  sown. 


496  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

•      • 

In  respect  to  grasses,  there  is  an  advantage  in  thick  sow- 
ing ;  this  is  not  found  in  a  materially  increased  burden  of 
grass  in  favorable  circumstances,  but  in  the  promptitude  with 
which  the  young  plants  preoccupy  the  whole  ground  and  pre- 
vent the  growth  of  weeds,  which,  in  thin  sowing,  would  be  apt 
to  dispute  possession.  In  this  view  of  the  matter,  the  fact 
that  half  the  young  grass-plants  are  afterward  smothered  by 
those  which  take  the  lead  in  growth  is  entirely  unimportant. 

From  what  has  been  said  above,  the  following  table  will  be 
understood  as  embodying  suggestions  rather  than  rules  in  ref- 
erence to  this  subject.  For  manner  of  sowing,  see  page  82. 

For  seeding  down  grass-plot  or  lawn,  a  mixture  of  grass 
seeds  should  be  used,  say  equal  parts  by  weight  of  Red-top  and 
Blue  Grass,  adding  White  Clover  in  the  proportion  of  one  sixth 
of  the  whole,  and  half  as  much  Sweet  Vernal  Grass  as  Clover. 
If  the  land  be  wet,  Timothy  may  be  substituted  for  the  Blue 
Grass  in  part  or  wholly.  The  grass  upon  a  plot  or  lawn 
should  never  be  suffered  to  go  to  seed,  but  should  be  regularly 
and  closely  mowed  when  from  four  to  six  inches  high,  or  even 
while  still  shorter. 

TABLE  OF  QUANTITIES  OF  SEEDS,  ETC.,  REQUIRED   TO  SOW  OR 

PLANT  AN  ACRE. 

Corn  planted  in  hills 1  to    Hpks.  peracre. 

"    drilled  for  fodder 4  to    6 

"    sown  broadcast 8  to  12 

Wheat  sown  broadcast 4  to    8 

Bye          "  "       4  to    8 

Barley     "  "       6  to  10 

Oats         "  "       8  to  1^ 

Buckwheat  sown  broadcast 3  to    6 

Peas  drilled 4  to    6 

"    broadcast 12  to  16 

Bush  Beans  drilled 4  to    6 

"  broadcast,  if  so  sown  at  all 10  to  12 

Rice  drilled 8  to  10 

Millet  broadcast 3  to    5 

Bed  Clover  alone 16  to  20  Ibs. 

"         "      with  Timothy 8  to  12    " 

Timothy  alone 12  to  20  qrts. 

"       with  Bed  Clover 8  to  10    " 

Bed-top  alone 12  to  20    " 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  497 

Red-top  with  Red  Clover 8    to  10  qrts.  per  acre. 

Blue  Grass        \  „  x.    , 

-D  u  (for  special  purposes  or  particular 

Orchard  Grass  $      localitie8 10  tO  26  lbs' 

White  Clover  to  be  added  to  either  of  the  above...  2  to  4    "           " 

«          "      if  for  any  reason  sown  alone 4  to  6    "           " 

Broom  Corn  drilled 4  to  6  pks.         " 

Flax  drilled 4  to  6    " 

Potatoes,  varying  very  much,  as  being  in  hills  or\ 

drills,  small  or  large,  cut  or  uncut.    See  p.  171. ) 

Ruta  Baga  drilled  or  broadcast )  ^  to  ji  UjS         « 

Common  Turnips  drilled  or  broadcast > 

Beets  drilled... 2  to  4      " 

Carrots  drilled H  to  2      " 

Parsneps     "      2  to  4      " 

Onions        "      3  to  5      " 

Cabbages :  i  Ib.  of  seed,  if  thinly  sown,  and  escaping  the  fly,  will  yield  an 

abundance  of  plants  for  one  acre. 

ESTIMATE  OF  CROP. 

Crop,  or  that  return  for  our  outlay  of  manure,  and  seed,  and 
labor,  which  is  derived  from  land,  may  be  estimated  either  by 
its  money  value  or  by  its  capacity  to  supply  the  wants  of  ani- 
mal life.  If  estimated  by  the  former,  which  always  depends 
on  the  relation  of  supply  and  demand,  it  is  manifest  that  it 
will  be  liable  to  fluctuation  from  a  great  variety  of  causes  :  the 
variations  of  seasons,  difference  of  localities,  failure  or  super- 
abundance of  the  same  crop,  or  any  similar  class  of  crops,  in 
other  sections  or  countries,  &c.  Any  of  these  may  so  affect 
this  relation  that  a  rich  crop  will  give  but  a  poor  return  in 
money,  or  that  a  very  moderate  crop  may  prove  extremely 
profitable  ;  the  very  abundance  of  the  yield  in  the  former  case, 
whether  from  natural  or  artificial  causes,  rendering  the  product 
almost  valueless,  when  the  extra  labor  of  gathering  and  mar- 
keting the  excess  is  taken  into  account. 

In  general,  perishable  products,  as  fruits  and  vegetables  for 
consumption  in  the  current  season,  are  most  promptly  and 
largely  affected  by  this  cause  ;  but,  in  a  degree,  grain,  and  the 
various  dry  products  that  admit  of  being  kept,  obey  the  same 
immutable  law,  and  fluctuate,  often  to  the  disappointment  of 
the  farmer's  hopes  or  the  ruin  of  the  miscalculating  speculator. 

The  lesser  or  greater  distance  from  market  also  affects  this 


498  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

estimate.  It  may  be  very  profitable  to  raise  carrots,  or  egg- 
plants, or  celery  near  large  cities  where  there  is  a  daily  de- 
mand for  them,  while  the  expense  of  their  transportation  from 
a  distance,  with  the  attendant  risks,  would  reduce  them  to  the 
ordinary  standard  of  farm  crops. 

A  difference  of  latitude  of  even  less  than  one  degree  may 
occasion  an  entirely  opposite  result  from  the  same  crop  in  the 
same  season.  Early  peas,  or  potatoes,  or  fruits,  raised  thirty 
or  more  miles  south  of  a  given  market,  securing  the  highest 
price,  because  maturing  at  the  opening  of  the  season ;  while 
those  raised  at  an  equal  distance  to  the  north,  or  such  crops 
of  late  kinds  raised  at  the  South,  obtain  the  lowest  price,  be- 
cause coming  in  when  the  market  is  glutted  with  similar 
products  from  more  favorable  localities. 

The  mere  money  estimate,  moreover,  may  or  may  not  be  at 
all  dependent  on  any  intrinsic  capacity  in  the  product  to  sup- 
port animal  life ;  even  things  that  are  almost  utterly  destitute 
of  this  may  become  largely  profitable,  as  coffee,  from  the  fact 
that  it  furnishes  a  pleasant  beverage ;  or  as  tobacco,  which, 
in  its  various  forms,  ministers  chiefly,  if  not  entirely,  to  a  vi- 
tiated taste. 

If  the  estimate  be  formed  upon  the  basis  of  the  capacity  of 
the  crop  to  sustain  animal  life,  which  really  would  seem  to  af- 
ford some  fixed  principles  as  criteria  of  its  intrinsic  value,  one 
might  suppose  that  with  a  little  experience  in  the  cultivation 
of  a  particular  soil,  with  the  gathering  and  feeding  out  of  its 
crops,  and  a  little  observation  of  the  climate  in  which  we  live, 
it  might  be  safely  and  pretty  accurately  made.  But  not  only 
does  the  adaptation  or  non-adaptation  of  soil  and  general  climate 
to  particular  crops  modify  this  estimate  of  it,  but  also  the  char- 
acter and  changes  of  particular  seasons  whose  current  climate 
may  be  favorable  or  unfavorable ;  thus  hay  the  growth  of  a 
moist,  warm,  rapid  season,  is  comparatively  poor — in  common 
phrase,  it  "  does  not  feed  out  so  well"  as  that  which  is  raised 
in  a  drier  and  less  growthy  spring.  It  is  also  affected  by  the 
course  of  cropping  pursued  and  the  character  of  the  manures 
applied  to  the  land.  All  vegetable  products  show  by  analysis 
chemical  differences  in  various  lots  of  the  same  kinds  of  crop, 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  499 

which  may  arise  either  from  the  absence  of  one  or  more  ele- 
ments from  the  soil,  necessitating  the  appropriation  of  others 
as  substitutes,  or  from  the  simple  excess  or  deficiency  of  a  given 
ingredient  in  such  soil  inducing  a  corresponding  excess  or  de- 
ficiency in  its  appropriation  by  the  growing  crop. 

In  order  to  ascertain  correctly  the  comparative  value  of  va- 
rious crops  for  supplying  the  wants  of  animal  life,  we  need,  in 
addition  to  chemical  analyses,  carefully-performed  and  repeated 
experiments  in  feeding  with  the  products,  noting  their  effects 
upon  health,  with  temperature,  age  of  animals,  and  other  cir- 
cumstances. No  knowledge  of  constituents,  however  perfect, 
will  suffice,  for  these,  even  when  rich,  often  become  of  little 
use  from  lack  of  adaptation  in  the  form  in  which  they  are  pre- 
sented. Thus  dried  tea  and  cabbage  leaves  are  chemically  al- 
most as  rich  in  protein  compounds  as  beef,  but  could  hardly  be 
made  to  supply  its  place.  The  corn-stalks  from  an  acre  con- 
tain generally  more  food  than  the  corn,  but  in  a  form  not  well 
adapted  to  consumption,  even  by  cattle,  and  on  this  account 
should  always  be  cut  up  short  and  steamed  for  feeding. 

Such  experiments  as  those  above  referred  to  should  of  course 
include  the  cost  of  production  in  a  given  locality  or  climate, 
for  it  is  plain  that  a  crop  may  be  so  costly  in  its  production, 
owing  to  climate  or  other  causes,  that  it  would  become  the  part 
of  wisdom  to  prefer  another,  though  much  lower  in  the  scale  of 
gross  value,  on  account  of  its  higher  nett  results.  In  New  York 
Sugar  Beets  would  pay  better  than  Sugar-cane. 

Though  we  have  by  no  means  full  and  reliable  information 
upon  all  the  points  involved  in  this  matter,  yet,  from  the  vari- 
ous experiments  and  analyses  which  have  been  recorded,  it  is 
possible  to  form  such  a  judgment  in  the  case  as  may  be  useful. 
We  may  approximate  to  a  satisfactory  estimate  of  the  actual 
and  relative  value  of  any  ordinary  crop,  on  the  whole,  in  the 
particular  soil  and  climate  in  which  we  labor,  a  very  brief 
experience  supplying  us  with  the  local  data  necessary  to  an 
intelligent  application  of  the  tests  which  the  appended  table 
of  products  and  their  constituents  furnishes. 


500 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


TABLE  or  QUANTITIES  AND  CHEMICAL,  COMPOSITION  OF  VARIOUS  CROPS, 
OF  CONSTITUENTS,  AS  TO  FURNISH  DATA  FOR  CAL- 


Corn  

DIVISION  1. 

DIVISION  2. 

DIVISION  3. 

Amount  of  product  per 
acre. 

Water. 

Vegetable  fibre. 

.      1 

E-S» 

III 

•«! 

Approximate  average 
product  per  acre  in 
pounds. 

Variations  in  percent- 
age of  water  in  di- 
vers analyses. 

Probable  average  per- 
centage of  water. 

Total  weight  of  water 
in  product  per  acre 
in  pounds. 

Variations  in  percent- 
age of  vegetable  fibre 
in  divers  analyses. 

Probable  average  per- 
csntage  of  vegetable 
fibre. 

Total  weight  of  vege- 
table fibre  in  product 
per  acre  in  pounds. 

30  hush.,  at  58  Ibs. 

1,740 
2,500 
1,200 
2,400 
1,120 
3,000 
1,440 
1,500 
1,280 
2,000 
1,200 
1,200 
1,200 
1,750 
2,500 
4,000 
3,000 
12,000 
20,000 

20,000 

20,000 
20,000 
20,000 

40,000 

ii}@i5} 

12  @15 
10  @17 
12  @15 
12  ©15} 
12  @15 
14  @15£ 
12  @15 
9  @16 

12} 
m 

12} 
12} 
12} 
12} 
12} 
12} 
12} 
12} 
15 
12} 
15 
15 
12* 
12* 
12* 
75 
85 

90 

85 
85 
76* 

90 

217} 
312} 
150 
300 
140 
375 
180 
187} 
160 
250 
180 
150 
180 
262} 
312} 
500 
375 
9,000 
17,000 

18,000 

17,000 
17,000 
15,300 

36,000 

4  @15 
25  @40 
12  ©16 

12} 
33} 
12} 
50 
8} 
45 
12} 
50 
20 
45 
20 
7} 
8 
4 
20 
25 
30 
3  (?) 
8(?) 

3  (?) 

2  9-10(?) 
3(?) 
5 

1* 

217} 
833} 
150 
1200 
95* 
1350 
180 
750 
256 
900 
240 
90 
96 
70 
500 
1000 
900 
360 
600 

600 

580 
600 
1000 

600 

Wheat 

20  bush.,  at  60  Ibs. 

Wheat  Straw 
Rye 

20  bush.,  at  56  Ibs. 

5  @10 
40  @50 
8  @15 

3  @20 
40  @45 
14  @27 
3i@10} 
6}@10 
3i@5 

Rye  Straw 

Barley  
Barley  Straw. 
Oats  

30  bush.,  at  48  Ibs. 

40  bush.,  at  32  Ibs. 

Buckwheat  . 
Peas 

25  bush.,  at  48  Ibs. 
20      "      at  60    " 
20      "      at  60    " 
25      "      at  70    " 
50      "      at  50    " 
2    tons. 
1}     " 
200  bush.,  at  60  Ibs. 
10  tons. 

10    " 

10    " 
10    " 
10    " 

20    " 

12  @16 
12  ©15} 
11  ©20 
15  @18 

Bush  Beans.  . 
Rice  

Millet  

Clover  Hay.  . 
Meadow  Hay 
Potatoes  
Ruta  Baga.  .  . 
Common      "» 
Turnips  ) 
Beets  

12  ©14 
12  @14 
68  ©SO 
80  @87 

85  ©93 

80  ©90 
80  ©88 

2  @10 



Carrots  
Parsneps  .  .  . 
Cahhages     ^ 
without  the? 
stalks          > 

83  ©93 

AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


501 


ESTIMATED   AT    SUCH    RATES    OF   PRODUCT    PER   ACRE,    AND    SUCH   PERCENTAGES 
CULATING    THEIR    ACTUAL    AND   RELATIVE    VALUES. 


MATERIAL  FOE  RESPIRATION  AND  FATTENING. 

MATERIAL  FOE  MUSCLE 
OE  LEAN  FLESH. 

MATERIAL  FOE  BONE. 

DIVISION  4. 

DIVISION  5. 

DIVISION  6. 

DIVISION  7. 

Oily  Matter. 

Carbonaceous  elements 
other  than  oily  matter, 
comprising  sugar,  hon- 
ey, starch,  dextrine,  or 
gum,  &c. 

Nitrogenous    elements 
tnown    as     "  Protein 
compounds,"  compris- 
ing gluten,  casein,  al- 
bumen, legumin,  ave- 
nin,  &c. 

Saline    or   inorganic   ele- 
ments, comprising  earths, 
alkalies,  and  metals,  us- 
ually or  always  combined 
with  acids. 

Variations  in  percent- 
age of  oily  matter  in 
divers  analyses. 

Probable  average  per- 
centage of  oily  mat- 
ter. 

Total  weight  of  oily 
matter  in  product  per 
acre  in  pounds. 

||J4 

H:I 

•!l!l 

§"s!.s 

J  lit! 

Probable  average  per- 
centage of  carbona- 
ceous elements. 

Total  weight  of  carbon- 
aceous elements  other 
than  oily  in  product 
per  acre  in  pounds. 

Variations  in  percent- 
age of  "  Protein  com- 
pounds" in  divers 
analyses. 

nobable  average  per- 
sentage  of  "  Protein 
jompounds." 

Total  weight  of  nitro- 
genous or  "  Protein 
compounds"  in  prod- 
uct per  acre  in  IDS. 

Variations  in  percent- 
age of  saline  or  inor- 
ganic elements  in  di- 
vers analyses. 

Probable  average  per- 
centage of  saline  or 
inorganic  elements. 
"Total  weight  of  saline" 
or  inorganic  elements 
Mn  product  per  acre 
n  pounds. 

3  @12 
1  @  1* 
2  @  4 
l@  1* 
2  @  3^ 

7* 
1 

2*' 
1 
2* 
* 
2 
* 
5 
* 
* 
2* 
2* 
*(?) 
*(?) 
3* 
3 
* 
(?) 

(?) 

1-10 
* 
(?) 

1-10(?) 

130* 

25 
30 
24 
28 
15 
281 
7* 
64 
10 
6 
30 
30 
81 
12* 
140 
90 
30 
(?) 

(?) 

20 
50 
(?) 

40 

50@80 
50-f- 
55@75 

60 

42| 
58 
25 
63 
37* 
60 
31(?) 
45 
35 
43 
50 
43 
75 
45 
40 
40 
18 
10 

5 

9 

8* 
13* 

62-5 

1044 
1066* 
696 
600 
705^ 
1125 
864 
465 
576 
700 
588 
600 
516 
1312* 
1125 
1600 
1200 
2160 
2000 

1000 

1800 
1650 
2700 

2560 

5  @14 
3  @10 
10  @16 

6* 
4* 
12* 
1* 
12* 
1* 
10 
1* 
14 
1 
12* 
25 
28 
4* 
18*(?) 
9 
7 
2* 
1 

* 

2 
2 
2 

1* 

113 
112* 

150 
36 
140 
45 
144 
22i 
179* 
20 
150 
300 
336 
78| 
462* 
360 
210 
270 
200 

100 

400 
400 
400 

.600 

1  @     1* 
4  ®     6 
1.2  @  2.3 
31®    15 
1.03  @1.04 
2  @     3'- 
3  ®    18 
4  ®      5* 
2i@     4 
5  @      7* 

1 

6 
2 
10 
1 
3 
3 
4* 
3^ 
6 
3 
2* 
3* 
1 
3i(?) 
10 
7* 
1* 
1 

H 

l 

1* 

3 

* 

111 

150 
24 
240 
Hi 
90 
43* 
67* 
44i 
120 
36 
30 
42 
17* 
87* 
400 
225 
180 
200 

300 

200 
300 
600 

200 

60@78 

10  @15 

2  @  2* 

55@68 

40@70 

10@14 

3  @  61 

13  @19i 

50@65 

50@62 
30@50 
75@86 

10  @16 
16  @26 
19  @28 
3*@6* 
10*  (?) 

2*@  3 
2  @  3 

*@  2* 

2|  @      3 
3  @      4* 

*@      1 

5  @    10 
1!@     5* 
1  @     2 
i@     1* 
1  @     2* 

3  @  4 

2  @5 
1-12®  * 

*®  2* 

10@20 

*@2-5 

li@     2* 
1  @     4 

502  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

This  Table  has  been  prepared  with  considerable  care  and  la- 
bor, but  I  have  not  thought  it  worth  while  to  name  the  authori- 
ties consulted  and  compared  ;  they  include  most  of  the  French, 
German,  English,  and  American  chemists,  whose  various  anal- 
yses of  farm  products  constitute  the  active  capital  of  writers 
and  speculators  upon  the  subjects  to  which  they  relate. 

The  Table  is  not  assumed — indeed,  was  not  intended  to  be, 
and  could  not  be  made  absolutely  accurate,  but  it  is  believed  to 
come  so  near  to  the  true  standard  that,  with  the  explanations 
given,  no  one  is  likely  to  be  deceived  by  it ;  and  the  author 
will  be  happy  to  receive  any  suggestions  by  which  it  may  be 
made  more  useful,  and  give  them  a  place  in  a  future  edition, 
should  such  be  demanded. 

I  have  not  included  in  it  the  recently-introduced  Chinese 
Sugar-cane,  or  Sorghum  saccharatum,  because  that,  so  far  as  I 
am  advised,  no  perfect  and  reliable  analysis  of  it  has  yet  been 
made,  nor  have  statements  of  its  average  yield  of  sufficient  ac- 
curacy and  extent  yet  appeared  to  form  the  basis  of  a  conclu- 
sion respecting  it.  From  experiments  made  with  it,  however, 
in  various  sections,  it  seems  likely  to  prove  valuable  for  fodder ; 
and  if  it  should  be  found  impracticable  to  extend  the  culture 
of  the  Sugar-cane  sufficiently  to  meet  the  growing  demand  for 
its  products,  persistent  efforts  will  doubtless  be  made  to  devise 
means  for  the  production  of  sugar  from  this  very  juicy  crop. 
It  may  be  cultivated  in  hills  or  rows,  as  corn,  and.  for  a  fodder 
crop  it  has  the  advantage  of  a  small  and  easily-sown  seed. 

The  Chinese  Potato,  or  Yam,  Dioscorea  Battatas,li&$  been 
omitted  on  account  of  its  sheer  worthlessness. 

EXPLANATORY  REMARKS. 

Of  the  particular  quantities  given  in  the  first  division  as 
representing  the  product  of  an  acre,  corn  may  be  regarded  as 
quite  low,  and  oats,  millet,  potatoes,  cabbages,  and  the  root 
crops  as  rather  high.  For  the  latter  I  have  taken  the  average 
of  the  English  turnip  crop,  which,  according  to  Johnston,  is 
ten  tons  per  acre,  though  in  common  turnips  we  never  ap- 
proach this,  and  very  rarely  in  Kuta  Baga  or  the  other  root 
crops.  It  is  seldom,  too,  that  twenty  tons  of  cabbages  are 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN.  503 

raised  upon  an  acre,  yet  it  is  quite  possible  to  obtain  this  quan- 
tity ;  but  upon  the  land  that  would  produce  it,  twice,  or  even 
thrice  the  weight  of  corn  and  stalks  named  in  the  table  might 
be  raised,  and  harvested  at  less  than  half  the  risk  and  labor. 
I  have  purposely  made  the  average  of  corn  and  stalks  very 
low,  because  of  my  entire  conviction  of  the  immense  superiority 
of  the  corn  crop  over  all  root  crops  in  our  climate.  The  aver- 
age of  corn  in  the  table  must  at  least  be  doubled  to  make  the 
comparison  a  fair  one  with  the  last  six  articles.  I  have  en- 
deavored so  to  arrange  the  percentages  adopted  that  any  one 
can  with  ease  calculate  the  value  of  a  larger  or  smaller  product 
per  acre  of  any  crop  given. 

Divisions  2  and  3,  Water  and  Vegetable  Fibre,  represent 
constituents  of  the  crop  which  in  ordinary  cases  simply  add  to 
its  bulk.  As  vehicles  of  food,  or  mingled  with  it,  their  mere 
bulk  aids  digestion,  and  thereby  promotes  health,  while  they 
may  also,  in  extreme  cases,  become,  to  a  certain  extent,  available 
as  nutriment. 

Divisions  4,  5j  6,  and  7  (omitting  the  silica  in  the  latter) 
contain  the  materials  by  which,  in  combination  with  water,  all 
animal  bodies  are  framed,  covered  with  muscle  and  fat,  sup- 
ported in  growth,  their  waste  resupplied,  and  warmth  and 
vigor  given  to  them.  The  aggregate  of  the  items  in  these  col- 
umns indicates  the  true  value  of  any  crop  we  raise.  Milk, 
which  is  the  only  complete  and  perfect  animal  food,  contains 
them  all  (with  the  omission  noted),  mixed  with  more  or  less  of 
water,  and  in  proportions  analogous  to  those  of  the  general 
crops  in  our  table,  the  wants  of  the  animal  economy  requiring 
larger  supplies  for  respiration  and  fattening  than  for  muscle 
and  bone.  No  one  of  them,  however,  could  be  dispensed  with 
or  ignored.  With  No.  7  the  bones  might  be  formed,  and  by 
the  aid  of  No.  6  be  bound  in  their  places  and  work,  as  puppets 
are  worked  with  cords,  but  must  remain  angular,  and  cold,  and 
of  themselves  motionless,  unless  the  supplies  from  Nos.  4  and 
5  lay  a*  lining  of  soft  cellulose  matter  beneath  the  skin,  round 
the  general  outlines  of  the  limbs  and  body,  lubricate  the  joints, 
and  feed  with  appropriate  fuel  the  vital  furnace  in  the  lungs. 

The  variations  in  the  percentages  of  the  several  constituents 


504  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

given  by  the  different  chemical  authorities,  as  shown  in  the 
table,  are  very  striking. 

Those  in  the  water  and  vegetable  fibre,  divisions  2  and  3, 
may  probably  have  arisen  from  actual  differences  in  the  dry- 
ness  of  the  articles  analyzed,  or  in  the  amount  of  their  exterior 
coating,  as  might  very  naturally  occur  in  several  of  the  grains. 

Those  found  in  the  percentage  of  oily  matter,  division  4,  may 
perhaps  be  accounted  for  by  supposing  the  analysts  to  have  ex- 
perimented upon  different  varieties  of  the  same  crop ;  thus,  to 
take  Corn  as  an  example,  it  is  perfectly  comprehensible  how 
neither  Liebig  nor  any  other  chemist  could  find  even  five  per 
cent,  of  oily  matter  in  our  light  flour  Corns,  which  seem  to  re- 
semble Buckwheat  in  their  character,  while  Dumas  and  others 
might  readily  obtain  nine  or  ten  per  cent,  from  a  strong  north- 
ern yellow  Flint  Corn. 

This  division  properly  belongs  with  No.  5,  the  elements  in 
both  being  carbonaceous,  but  I  have  given  the  oily  matter  a 
separate  division,  because,  as  the  ready-formed  fat  in  food  is 
most  easily  appropriated,  and,  withal,  renders  important  aid  in 
digestion,  the  amount  of  this  material  found  in  a  given  crop 
affords  a  measurable  test  of  its  relative  value  in  the  fattening 
of  animals. 

The  differences  found  in  the  percentages  of  the  other  car- 
bonaceous and  the  nitrogenous  elements,  divisions  5  and  6, 
may  be  due,  in  part,  to  the  same  cause  as  those  of  the  oily 
matter,  but  probably  still  more  to  differences  of  character  and 
quality,  independent  of  variety  of  stock,  arising  from  differ- 
ences in  the  feeding  and  culture  of  the  particular  crops  from 
which  the  specimens  were  derived.  The  manure  from  a  barn- 
yard that  is  very  thoroughly  leached  into  the  neighboring 
brook  will  not  have  much  material  to  give  stamina  and  rich- 
ness to  the  crop  to  which  it  is  applied ;  and  if,  in  addition  to 
this,  the  season's  culture  be  slighted,  a  crop  relatively  rich  in 
vegetable  fibre,  and  poor  in  the  more  important  constituents, 
may  be  reasonably  expected.  * 

The  variations  in  the  percentages  of  saline  or  inorganic  el- 
ements, division  7,  may  be  traced  to  the  same  or  analogous 
causes.  It  is  well  settled  that  plants,  like  animals,  feed  not 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  505 

always  upon  that  which  is  most  desirable  and  proper,  but  upon 
what  can  be  had  in  their  season  of  need.  If,  therefore,  the 
rains  have  carried  off  the  elements  of  this  and  the  two  preced- 
ing divisions  from  the  barn-yard,  and  they  have  been  previous- 
ly largely  cropped  out  of  the  soil  and  sold  off  without  return 
to  the  land,  no  grand  and  heavy  crop  can  be  expected. 

Under  the  general  terms  saline  or  inorganic  elements  are 
included,  in  very  various  proportions,  Silica  or  Flint,  Lime, 
Magnesia,  Alumina,  Potash,  Soda,  metallic  Oxides,  Phospho- 
ric and  Sulphuric  Acids,  Chlorine,  and  a  few  other  constitu- 
ents ;  and,  though  their  aggregates,  as  shown  in  this  division, 
are  small  as  compared  with  those  of  Nos.  5  and  6,  yet  they 
are,  more  or  less  of  them.,  essential  to  every  crop,  and  can  not 
be  taken  by  the  plant  from  the  atmosphere,  whence  much  of 
the  material  for  the  others  may  probably  be  derived.  Hence 
this  division  becomes  of  special  importance,  showing  as  it  does 
the  total  amount  of  the  privation  which  land  sustains  by  the 
loss  of  these  elements  in  a  given  crop. 

By  far  the  greater  portion  of  these  aggregates,  however,  are 
derived  from  about  one  half  of  the  elements  named  above.  Of 
the  24  Ibs.  of  inorganic  matter  given  in  the  table  as  obtained 
from  the  product  of  an  acre  of  wheat,  about  8J  Ibs.  may  be  Sil- 
ica, 2  Ibs.  Lime,  2  Ibs.  Magnesia,  4^  Ibs.  Potash,  and  5  Ibs. 
Soda ;  and  of  the  240  Ibs.  yielded  by  the  straw,  about  189  Ibs. 
may  be  reckoned  as  Silica,  16  Ibs.  Lime,  2  Ibs.  Magnesia,  1J 
Ibs.  Potash,  and  2  Ibs.  Soda,  with  some  10  Ibs.  Phosphoric 
Acid ;  the  small  remaining  balance  in  both  being  composed 
of  minute  portions  of  the  other  elements.  The  large  predom- 
inance of  silica  and  lime  is  a  remarkable  feature  in  this  divi- 
sion, and  may  illustrate  the  natural  law  by  which  supply  and 
demand  are  regulated  in  the  vegetable  and  animal  kingdoms. 
Without  the  silica,  neither  corn,  grain,  nor  grass  would  stand 
upright  to  maturity  ;  it  forms  the  outer  coating  and  strength- 
ener  of  the  stem  of  these  and  certain  other  plants,  and  may, 
without  impropriety,  be  said  to  furnish  to  them  the  bones  of 
vegetable  growth.  The  lime  is  equally  essential  to  the  forma- 
tion and  strength  of  animal  bones,  of  which  it  constitutes  so 
large  a  part.  Extraordinary  means  are  sometimes  used  to 

Y 


506  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

supply  the  lack  of  it  when  the  bones  are  in  the  forming  state  ; 
thus  the  peasant  mothers  of  Germany  are  said  to  give  lime- 
water  to  their  young  children  ;  and  when,  in  raising  calves 
by  hand,  milk  is  economized  by  the  use  of  hay-tea,  &c.,  it  is  a 
custom,  which  I  think  is  immemorial,  to  make  up  the  great 
defect  of  the  infusion  by  giving  them  chalk  to  lick,  with  which 
they  instinctively  supply  the  necessities  of  the  animal  econ- 
omy. From  the  multiplicity  of  these  saline  or  inorganic  con- 
stituents of  vegetables  and  their  importance,  although  many 
are  minute  in  quantity,  it  is  apparent  that  very  light  applica- 
tions of  such  manures  as  are  rich  in  these  elements  may  be  of 
essential  service  to  the  crop. 

A  glance  at  the  table  shows  that  hay,  and  stalks,  and 
straw  contain  more  of  saline  or  inorganic  matters  than  is 
found  in  the  grains,  and  the  same  is  true  of  the  vines  of  peas, 
potatoes,  &c.,  which  are  omitted ;  to  preserve  all  these  with 
care,  and  return  them,  with  suitable  additions,  to  the  soil, 
may  therefore  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  first  duties  of  the  in- 
telligent cultivator. 

Where,  as  in  the  case  of  tobacco,  almost  the  wrhole  product 
is  of  necessity  sent  away,  the  soil  must  be  speedily  exhausted, 
unless  the  various  elements  contained  in  the  crop  are  replaced 
by  importation,  or  by  taxing  other  crops  for  a  supply ;  but,  in 
reference  to  ordinary  farm  soils  and  crops,  the  case  is  some- 
what different.  The  elements  contained  in  the  various  crops 
above  enumerated  may  all  be  replaced,  and  the  general  condi- 
tion of  the  farm  progressively  improved  by  the  accumulations 
of  a  well-managed  barn-yard,  with  the  use  of  ashes,  gypsum, 
marl,  and  swamp-muck  treated  with  lime,  where  these  are  ob- 
tainable ;  but  especially  may  this  be  effected  by  the  frequent 
and  regular  use  of  clover  as  green  manure  ;  this,  with  the  ap- 
plication of  gypsum  and  occasional  dressings  of  lime,  will  be 
found  the  cheapest  and  easiest  known  mode  of  resupplying  the 
draughts  made  by  the  various  crops,  and  sustaining  and  im- 
proving the  strength  and  productiveness  of  the  soil. 


ADDENDUM. 

Forcing  Vegetables  and  Fruits. — Training  Fruit-trees. 

FORCING  AND  TRAINING. 

FORCING  common  garden  vegetables  and  forcing  or  training 
ordinary  fruit-trees  are  modes  of  culture  not  likely  to  be  very 
generally  adopted  in  American  home  gardens ;  but,  inasmuch 
as  they  may  occasionally  be  fancied  or  found  desirable,  the  fol- 
lowing brief  account  of  their  objects  and  modes  is  introduced 
here  as  an  addendum  to  the  more  valuable  and  important  proc- 
esses described  in  the  body  of  the  book. 

FORCING. 

FORCING  is  the  general  term  descriptive  of  the  various  proc- 
esses for  raising  vegetables,  fruits,  or  flowers  out  of  their  natu- 
ral or  ordinary  seasons  or  climates,  by  means  of  carefully-ap- 
plied artificial  heat  under  glass,  whether  in  hot  bed,  or  pit,  or 
grapery,  or  orchard-house,  or  green-house,  or  dwelling. 

Among  gardeners,  success  in  forcing  is  an  object  of  ambition, 
and  its  honors  are  worn  with  a  good  deal  of  professional  pride. 
Some  affect  to  have  peculiar  modes  of  practice,  which  they  hide 
carefully  from  others,  but  which  are  often  mere  worthless  con- 
ceits. 

It  will  be  apparent  to  any  observant  mind  that  crops  which 
in  ordinary  culture  bear  without  injury  the  common  vicissi- 
tudes of  climate  in  the  open  air  may  easily  endure  the  lighter 
and  less  frequent  changes  to  which  they  are  subjected  in  house 
or  frame  culture,  unless  a  most  unnatural  system  is  pursued, 
or  great  carelessness  displayed  in  their  treatment. 

The  beau  ideal  of  forcing  is  to  create  artificially  a  climate  so 
perfectly  resembling  that  which  is  natural  and  congenial  to  the 
plants  forced  as  to  induce  fair  vigorous  growth  and  fruiting  un- 
der a  system  of  treatment  not  differing  materially  in  other  re- 


508  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 

spects  from  high  out-door  culture.  To  effect  this  the  chief  thing 
is  to  give  incessant  care  to  the  degree  of  temperature  and  moist- 
ure which  the  crop  may  require,  and  so  to  limit  the  quantity 
of  fruit  permitted  to  set  as  to  keep  it  always  somewhat  below 
the  bearing  capacity  of  the  tree,  of  which  every  gardener  is 
supposed  to  be  capable  of  judging  at  a  glance,  and  every  culti- 
vator may  learn  to  judge  by  a  few  careful  experiments  in  fruit- 
ing. He  can  scarcely  err  injuriously  except  on  one  side.  If 
he  leave  an  excess  of  fruit  upon  the  tree,  the  whole  crop  may 
be  injured  or  destroyed,  but  if  he  reduce  the  amount,  even  much 
below  the  natural  or  necessary  line,  the  remaining  fruit  will  be 
certainly  and  perhaps  greatly  improved,  and  may  very  possibly 
more  than  make  up  in  its  aggregate  weight  for  the  excessive 
thinning. 

Some  vegetable  plants  are  forced  for  use  in  winter  by  a 
process  of  simple  self-exhaustion.  Their  strong  roots  being 
transferred  in  the  fall  to  a  cellar,  or  hot-bed  frame,  or  heated 
pit,  or  green-house,  yield  a  limited  crop  under  the  stimulus  of 
the  warmth  thus  furnished ;  this  being  obtained,  the  roots  thus 
taxed  are  either  thrown  away  or  set  out  again  in  the  spring  to. 
regain  their  ordinary  strength.  Sea-kale,  Asparagus,  Pie- 
plant, Succory,  etc.,  etc.,  are  thus  treated  where  it  is  deemed 
worth  while. 

The  more  common  vegetables,  as  Lettuces,  Radishes,  and  cer- 
tain small  matters  for  salads,  require  in  their  forced  production 
in  hot-bed  frames  but  little  if  any  more  or  different  care,  though 
longer  continued,  than  is  necessary  for  raising  early  hot-bed 
plants  of  various  vegetables  for  setting  out.  See  page  30. 

Cucumbers  and  melons  are  often  raised  in  unfavorable  local- 
ities by  a  system  of  half  forcing  sometimes  called  "  ridging." 
For  this  purpose  a  pit  or  trench  of  any  desired  length,  about 
three  feet  wide  and  two  feet  deep,  is  dug  at  the  close  of  spring, 
and  filled  with  heating  manure  in  the  manner  of  making  hot 
bed  (see  page  30),  the  manure  being  covered  twelve  or  fifteen 
inches  deep  with  surface  earth  well  enriched  with  old  garden 
compost  and  chopped  half-rotted  sod,  adding  sand  or  road- wash 
if  the  soil  be  heavy. 

Potted  plants,  previously  prepared  in  hot  bed,  are  set  out 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN.  5UU 

carefully  along  the  centre  of  this  ridge,  in  hills  from  four  to  six 
feet  apart.  Set  a  hand-glass  over  each  hill ;  give  air  and  cul- 
ture as  needed  until  the  vines  begin  to  run  freely,  then  raise 
the  hand-glasses  upon  bricks  or  blocks,  that  they  may  pass  un- 
der ;  nip  or  stop  them  at  about  two  feet  from  .the  stem,  that 
they  may  branch  and  blossom  compactly ;  and  when  the  full 
summer  is  upon  them  remove  the  hand-glasses  entirely,  and 
give  them  ordinary  but  careful  culture  until  the  crop  perfects. 

The  plants  for  ridging  or  forcing,  both  of  cucumbers  and 
melons,  are  in  general  carefully  raised  from  old  seed,  that 
the  vine-growth  may  be  moderate ;  or  they  are  produced  by 
cuttings,  particularly  if  new  seed  has  been  sown.  The  cut- 
tings are  made  in  the  ordinary  manner  (see  page  438),  and 
being  set  two  or  three  in  a  pot,  and  placed  in  the  hot  bed  with 
slight  shade,  will  root  in  a  week  or  so,  and  soon  furnish  strong 
compact  growing  plants,  which  will  also,  if  well  raised,  be 
more  hardy  than  those  direct  from  seed,  and  less  liable  to 
"  damp  off,"  as  the  stem-rotting  of  succulent  plants  in  a  cool 
moist  climate  is  called. 

In  those  climates  which  discourage  or  forbid  their  out-door 
cultivation,  they  are  often  forced  under  glass;  in  hot  bed  or  pit, 
throughout  their  growth  and  fruiting,  requiring  peculiar  and 
extraordinary  care  in  the  process. 

With  this  view  the  hot  bed  is  made  as  directed  page  30,  but 
with  ten  or  twelve  inches'  depth  of  earth,  which  should  consist 
of  thoroughly-prepared  garden  compost  (page  63),  to  which  an 
equal  quantity  of  well -chopped  and  half-rotted  loamy  sod  is 
added.  Tfre  seeds  are  planted,  or  the  potted  plants  set  out, 
just  under  the  centre  of  each  sash  ;  and  at  the  appearance  of 
the  third  leaf,  if  they  are  seedlings,  only  the  two  or  three  best 
plants  are  left  in  each  hill ;  the  surrounding  vacant  space,  if 
such  use  of  it  is  found  desirable,  can  be  temporarily  occupied 
by  pots,  in  which  any  kinds  of  early  plants  may  be  raised,  to 
be  taken  away  as  fast  as  the  growth  from  the  central  hill  de- 
mands the  room. 

The  most  assiduous  daily  attention  is  required,  to  give  air 
and  tepid  water  as  may  be  found  needful,  taking  especial  care 
to  furnish  both  regularly  but  moderately,  according  to  the  va- 


510  AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 

rying  condition  of  the  weather  and  the  consequent  necessities 
of  the  plants. 

Hill  them  slightly  as  they  grow,  and  apply  light  dressings 
of  liquid  manure  from  time  to  time  to  the  hills  and  around 
them,  but  in  these  and  the  ordinary  waterings  avoid  much  wet- 
ting upon  the  stems  or  leaves  of  the  plants. 

As  the  vines  extend  it  will  become  necessary  to  nip  their 
points  for  the  purpose  of  thickening  the  bearing  growth,  caus- 
ing them  to  branch  from  near  the  root,  and  also  afterward  to 
"  stop"  them  when  they  reach  the  sides  of  the  frame,  and, 
again,  to  prevent  their  becoming  over-thickened  by  their  young 
side  branches,  which  must  be  kept  thinned  out  when  the  fruit 
is  forming  or  in  growth  ;  the  number  of  fruit  upon  each  plant 
must  also  be  limited  if  you  desire  to  have  them  fine;  and 
when  as  many  as  you  wish  to  have  are  set,  nip  all  subsequent 
blossoms  before  they  open. 

The  general  temperature  of  the  hot  bed,  or  pit,  should  range 
from  60  to  80  degrees,  and  this  range  be  continued  as  uniform- 
ly as  possible.  In  order  to  secure  this  object,  in  addition  to 
the  daily  care  in  airing,  etc.,  it  may  be  found  necessary  to 
"  line  the  bed,"  that  is,  when  the  heat  of  the  bed  itself  de- 
clines, to  bank  fresh  heating  manure  to  the  thickness  of  one 
or  two  feet  all  around  it  in  the  same  careful  manner  as  the 
hot  bed  was  built  at  first,  repeating  this  operation  time  after 
time  if  found  necessary,  cutting  away  and  removing  all  the  old 
manure  from  the  outside  of  the  frame  so  as  to  bring  the  new 
warmth  as  nearly  as  possible  into  contact  with  the  body  of  the 
bed  which  it  surrounds ;  if  thought  needful,  this  lining  may 
be  raised  above  the  level  of  the  bed  so  as  to  reach  nearly  to 
the  upper  edge  of  the  frame,  with  a  slope  to  throw  the  water 
away  from  it  in  rainy  weather. 

When  raised  in  a  "  cucumber  pit,"  heated  either  with  ma- 
nure, or  hot  water,  or  steam,  these  vegetable  fruits  are  not  un- 
frequently  trained  upon  trellises,  being  carefully  and  pretty 
closely  pruned,  and  strictly  limited  to  their  proper  space,  by 
which  system  some  room  is  gained,  and  the  hanging  fruit  is 
also  ornamental. 

Almost  every  variety  of  garden  vegetable  may  be  and  is 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  511 

produced  by  forcing  where  the  demands  of  luxury  render  -the 
operation  profitable  ;  but  few  persons  will  be  likely  to  attempt 
to  force  these  in  a  plain  "  home  garden." 

Fruits  are  variously  forced,  either  in  the  -green-house  or  in 
houses  specially  appropriated  to  them.  For  strawberries,  steep 
single-pitch,  narrow,  temporary  "  strawberry  houses"  are  often 
made  with  the  glass  reaching  nearly  to  the  ground.  From  a 
furnace  sunk  a  sufficient  depth  at  one  end,  a  single  line  of 
stove-pipe  or  small  brick  flue,  slightly  raised,  runs  along  the 
middle  of  the  floor.  The  staging  is  so  constructed  as  to  cover 
this,  and  bring  the  plants  within  a  foot  or  less  of  the  glass 
from  top  to  bottom,  the  whole  looking  like  a  covered  strawberry 
bed  upon  a  steep  slope. 

Grapes  are  more  commonly  than  other  fruits  forced  in  the 
green-house ;  they  are,  however,  more  successfully  forced  by 
themselves  in  a  grapery,  though  strawberries  in  pots  or  other- 
wise may  be  conveniently  forced  with  them.  Peaches  are  also 
generally  forced  alone  in  "  peach  houses,"  and  these,  with  some 
other  varieties,  are  occasionally  forced  together  in  what  we  have 
called  "orchard  houses."  For  this  purpose  they  are  some- 
times, though  rarely,  planted  in  the  orchard  house,  as  ordinary 
dwarf  or  low-stemmed  trees,  but  generally  trained  upon  upright 
trellises  by  the  walls  of  the  house,  or  inclined  or  curved  ones 
in  the  body  of  it,  and  sometimes  are  cultivated  as  extra  dwarf 
trees  in  pots,  or  tubs,  or  boxes. 

Fruits  so  forced  require,  even  more  than  vegetables,  extraor- 
dinary and  constant  care  in  respect  to  temperature,  moisture, 
air,  pruning,  and  fruiting.  The  preparation  of  the  house  bor- 
ders, etc.,  and  the  general  course  of  treatment  required  do  not 
differ  greatly  from  the  directions  for  the  grapery,  page  357. 

Forced  vegetables  which  are  raised  from  seed,  etc.,  are  start- 
ed at  once  in  summer  heat ;  but  in  forcing  fruits  we  seek  to 
make  a  mimic  spring,  beginning  at  a  low  temperature,  say 
35  to  40  degrees,  and  gradually  raising  it  at  the  rate  of  two 
or  three  degrees  a  week,  until,  by  the  time  the  fruit  has  set,  it 
has  gone  up  to  60  degrees  in  the  day ;  or  at  this  point  and  on- 
ward it  may  rise  to  70  or  80  degrees  if  the  sunshine  carry  it 
up  ;  but  in  this  case  free  ventilation  must  be  given,  and  a  hu- 


512  AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 

mid  atmosphere  produced  by  watering  or  syringing,  and  spe- 
cial care  be  taken  that  after  such  an  accession  of  heat  the  re- 
cession be  not  sudden.  The  night  temperature  may  range 
uniformly  about  ten  degrees  below  that  of  the  day,  the  state 
of  the  house  being  sedulously  watched,  its  slightest  variations 
being  indicated  by  a  double  registering  thermometer. 

Besides  a  very  severe  system  of  summer  pruning,  almost 
entirely  suppressing  growth,  there  are  in  fruit  forcing  various 
other  nice  points  to  be  attended  to,  the  detailed  minutiae  of 
which  will  be  found  in  works  specially  devoted  to  this  depart- 
ment of  fancy  culture,  and  these  scanty  general  indications  are 
all  that  can  be  given  here. 

The  ripening  of  the  larger  fruits  will  generally  be  effected  in 
about  five  months  from  the  first  application  of  heat. 

TRAINING. 

"TRAINING"  is  any  process  by  which  the  young  growth  of 
trees  or  shrubs  is  diverted  from  its  natural  eourse,  and  made 
to  take  such  directions  or  assume  such  forms  as  the  fancy 
of  the  cultivator  may  prescribe.  Hence  the  various  kinds  of 
training  are  designated  as  "upright,"  "horizontal,"  "'fan- 
shaped,"  "  weeping,"  "  coiled,"  or  "  winding,"  etc.  For  illus- 
trations of  the  two  former  see  Arbor  and  Trellis  Culture  of  the 
Grape,  p.  349-50. 

Training  the  larger  fruit-trees  upon  trellises  is,  in  general, 
merely  a  fancy  mode  of  treating  dwarf  trees  like  the  weeping 
cone  and  other  peculiar  forms,  or  it  is  practiced  in  preparing 
such  trees  for  the  ornamentation  of  path  sides,  etc. ;  but  train- 
ing such  fruits  against  walls  or  other  shelters  is  adopted  with 
a  view  of  producing  in  ungenial  climates  fruits  not  otherwise 
producible  in  them,  or  to  obtain  in  perfection  in  unfavorable 
localities  or  soils  certain  fine  varieties  of  fruits,  which  even 
the  processes  of  dwarfing  and  summer  pruning  do  not  enable 
us,  under  the  circumstances,  to  ripen  satisfactorily.  It  may 
be  practiced  in  either  or  all  its  forms  so  far  as  time,  means, 
and  taste  permit  or  prompt. 

Where  it  is  proposed  to  cultivate  "  wall  fruit,"  as  the  prod- 
uct of  trees  so  trained  is  termed,  the  borders  or  holes  for  the 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


513 


trees  are  prepared  with  more  or  less  care  and  thoroughness, 
somewhat  after  the  mode  prescribed  for  grape  borders  in  house 
culture,  page  355.  If  you  desire  success,  prepare  them  well. 
There  is  an  equity  in  the  matter :  your  pay  will  be  according 
to  your  labor. 


Fig.  308. 


Fig.  309. 


Maiden  tree  cut  back  and  set  out  for 
fan  training. 


Young  fan-trained  tree  with  its  first  year1 3 
growth  of  three  shoots. 


The  first  step  in  training  is  to  plant  a  tree  of  one  year's 
growth  from  the  bud,  technically  called  a  "  maiden  tree," 
against  a  wall  or  trellis,  having  first  cut  it  back,  if  intended 
to  be  fan-formed,  to  within  one,  or  two,  or  three  inches  of  the 
point  of  junction  with  the  stock.  Fig.  308. 

In  planting  it,  let  it  be  set  so  that  the  head  of  the  stock 
where  it  was  cut  down  after  budding  and  the  face  of  the  new 
cut  made  in  cutting  back  the  young  tree  may  be  toward  the 
wall,  and  the  swell  of  the  original  bud  growth,  with  its  nu- 
merous undeveloped  buds,  be  thrown  outward  to  furnish  shoots 
to  radiate  from  that  point  for  training  if  it  be  cut  very  closely 
back. 

The  precise  number  of  buds  that  are  permitted  to  start  the 
first  year  may  vary,  but  for  illustration  I  have  chosen  three  as 
a  sufficient  and  convenient  number  (Fig.  309). 

These  are  to  be  laid  carefully  to  their  proper  places  as  their 
growth  proceeds  by  nailing  them  by  means  of  small  bands  of 
cloth  or  leather  placed  around  them,  forming,  when  nailed, 

Y  2 


514 


AMERICAN    HOME    GARDEN. 


loose  loops,  through  which  the  shoot  runs  ;  and  it  will  gener- 
ally be  found  convenient  to  alternate  the  sides  on  which  the 
nails  are  driven,  so  that  the  shoot  may  be  strained  in  any  de- 
sired direction.  In  training  immediately  upon  brick  walls, 
small  cast  nails  are  used  like  those  which  bootmakers  call 
"  sparrow-bills,"  but  larger ;  but  to  avoid  the  necessity  of 
nailing  into  brick,  a  frame  or  trellis,  as  in  open  culture,  is 
often  set  between  the  wall  and  the  tree,  upon  which  the  young 
shoots  may  be  tied  securely  but  not  tightly  to  their  places  by 
strips  of  bass  mat  or  other  material. 

All  growth  shoots  thrown  directly  forward  from  the  face  of 
the  tree,  and  all  branching  growth  from  the  young  shoots  that 
are  laid  into  place,  must  be  suppressed  as  soon  as  they  start, 
and  all  over-luxuriance  or  disproportion  in  the  growth  of  any 
one  or  more  of  the  shoots  of  the  season  must  be  prevented  by 
watchful  summer  pruning. 

In  the  winter  pruning  these  shoots  of  the  season  are  cut 
back,  according  to  the  vigor  of  their  growth,  to  the  length  of 
from  ten  to  fifteen  inches,  more  or  less,  as  shown  in  Fig.  310. 


Fig.  310. 


Tig.  811. 


Young  fan-trained  tree  with  its  first  year's 
growth  cut  back  at  the  winter  pruning. 


Young  fan-trained  tree  with  its  second 
year's  growth,  each  main  shoot  having 
thrown  out  two  secondary  ones. 


From  each  of  them  the  next  season  three  shoots,  a  main 
and  two  opposite  side  shoots,  may  be  suffered  to  grow,  as  Fig. 
311.  These,  like  the  former  year's  shoots,  are  to  be  laid  into 
place,  summer  pruned  with  the  same  care,  and  nailed  or  tied 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN. 


515 


as  above  directed ;  cut  back  each  of  them  at  the  winter  prun- 
ing according  to  the  strength  of  the  individual  shoot,  shorten- 
ing the  secondary  shoots  in  general  to  about  half  the  length 
allowed  to  the  main  ones,  or  cutting  them  nearly  as  far  back 
as  to  where  the  main  shoots  of  the  season  started,  as  shown  in 
horizontal  training,  Fig.  315. 

This  process  is  continued  from  year  to  year,  permitting  sec- 
ondary side  shoots  to  branch  off  from  the  main  ones  as  the 
spaces  between  them  widen  with  their  extension,  until  the 
whole  surface  appropriated  to  the  tree  is  covered  with  its 
growth,  regularly  laid  in  against  the  wall,  or  fence,  or  trellis, 
in  a  flat  fan  form,  as  Fig.  312. 

rig.  312. 


A  full-sized  fan-formed  tree,    cr,  a. 


Dotted  line  showing  the  point  to  which  a  diseased  tree 
may  be  cut  back. 


When  trained  trees  have  thus  filled  up  their  allotted  space, 
they  must  be  absolutely  limited  to  their  specific  boundaries, 
and  only  so  much  wood  permitted  to  grow  from  year  to  year 
as  may  be  required  to  fill  up  the  blank  spots  made  by  the  win- 
ter pruning.  From  the  very  first  the  trees  are  to  be  carefully 


516  AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN*. 

summer  pruned,  as  directed  for  dwarf  trees,  page  255 ;  with 
proper  attention  to  this,  so  that  no  shoot  is  suffered  to  grow 
with  disproportionate  vigor,  it  will  generally  be  found  suffi- 
cient, while  the  tree  is  forming,  to  cut  annually  from  the 
young  shoots  at  the  winter  pruning  about  one  third  or  one 
half  the  length  of  the  season's  growth. 

By  this  course,  steadily  pursued,  the  burden  of  fruit  which 
the  tree  may  become  capable  of  bearing  will  be  concentrated 
upon  and  sometimes  seem  to  cover  its.  whole  area  as  it  hangs 
from  the  numerous  fruit  branches. 

If  it  is  intended  to  train  the  tree  horizontally,  it  may  either 
be  cut  back  as  above  directed  for  fan  training,  or  may  be  left 
six  or  eight  inches  long  from  the  bud  at  the  setting  out,  as 
shown  in  Fig.  313. 

Fig.  313.  Tig.  314 


Maiden  tree  cnt  back  and 
set  out  for  horizontal        Yonng  horizontal-trained  tree  with  its  first  year's  growth  of 
training.  three  shoots  shown  as  cut  back  at  the  winter  pruning. 

One  upright  leader,  with  not  more  than  two  opposite  main 
side  shoots,  may  be  allowed  to  start  the  first  year,  the  latter 
to  be  trained  horizontally,  and  at  the  winter  pruning  each 
must  be  cut  back  as  shown  in  Fig.  314  a. 

In  the  second  year  these  lengthen  from  the  extreme  bud  of 
each,  but  are  not  permitted  to  form  secondary  side  shoots, 
which,  if  they  put  forth,  must  be  nipped  throughout  the  sum- 
mer ;  two  other  main  side  shoots  are  also  formed  and  trained 


AMERICAN   HOME   GARDEN. 


517 


horizontally  as  they  grow.  See  Fig.  315  a,  a.  These  are  all 
shortened  at  the  winter  pruning,  as  also  shown  in  Fig.  315, 
each  shoot  being  kept  about  the  length  of  one  year's  pruned 
growth  behind  its  predecessor. 

Fig.  315. 


Young  horizontal-trained  tree  with  its  second  year's  growth  shown  as  cut  back  at  the 
winter  pruning,     ft,  6,  b,  b.  Spurs  with  their  bunches  of  blossom  buds. 

This  process,  like  that  of  fan-training,  with  similar  care  in 
respect  to  summer  pruning,  is  continued  from  year  to  year  un- 
til the  tree  attains  its  full  size  (Fig.  316),  after  which  it  is 
simply  limited  to  its  appropriate  .  space,  and  permitted  annu- 
ally to  renew  by  its  growth  the  wastage  of  its  winter  pruning. 

Under  skillful  treatment  its  branches  will  become  studded 
in  the  fall  with  "spurs,"  which  are  short  stiff  shoots  from 
half  an  inch  to  four  inches  long,  ending  in  bunches  of  full 
rounded  "blossom  buds"  (Fig.  315  &),  the  ordinary  growth  or 
leaf  buds  being  of  a  more  pointed  form.  Upon  these  spurs,  or 
from  buds  set  immediately  upon  the  branches  (Fig.  316),  its 
burden  of  fruit  will  be  annually  produced,  but  special  care  is 
required  in  the  pruning  and  general  management  of  trained 
trees  to  secure  regularly  upon  them  a  full  but  not  excessive 
annual  crop  of  fruit. 

The  directions  given  above  for  regulating  the  growth  and 
training  of  the  trees  are  not  to  be  considered  absolute  ;  the  ar- 
rangement may  be  changed  or  inverted  at  the  pleasure  of  the 


518 


AMERICAN    HOME   GARDEN. 


cultivator,  the  horizontal  tree  being  permitted  to  form  second- 
ary side  shoots,  and  the  fan-formed  one  being  limited  to  main 
shoots  and  spurs. 

Fig.  316. 


Full-sized  horizontal-trained  tree  covered  with  fruit  buds. 
a.  A  main  shoot  cut  clean  out,  and  a  new  one  forming. 
&,  6.  Dotted  lines  showing  the  cutting  back  of  diseased  trees. 

Under  this  non-natural  course  of  treatment  trees  are  more 
than  commonly  liable  to  become  diseased.  Sometimes  it  is 
necessary,  and  still  oftener  expedient,  to  renew  certain  por- 
tions of  a  trained  tree  by  cutting  an  old  main  shoot  clean  out, 
and  forming  a  new  one  in  its  place  by  gradually  carrying  a 
young  shoot  from  the  central  radiating  point,  or  from  the  up- 
right leader,  annually  shortening  and  pruning  it  as  in  forming 
the  tree  at  first.  See  Fig.  316  a. 

If  a  tree  indicates  general  weakness  or  disease,  and  ordinary 
means  fail  to  renovate  it,  cut  back  the  whole  growth  from  one 
third  to  one  half,  less  or  more  according  to  your  judgment,  as 
indicated  by  the  dotted  lines,  figures  312  a,  316  b.  Shorten 
at  the  same  time  the  side  shoots  of  the  remainder ;  clear  it 
of  insects  if  infested,  by  the  use  of  some  suitable  wash  (see 
page  284) ;  change  the  surface  earth  around  it,  substituting 
fresh  surface  loam  and  rotted  sod,  and,  if  it  seem  requisite, 
give  an  extra  application  of  liquid  manure  occasionally,  espe- 


AMERICAN  HOME  GARDEN.  519 

cially  toward  the  extremities  of  its  roots ;  examine  its  deep 
roots,  and  if  the  disease  is  caused  by  their  entering  a  cold  or 
poisonous  subsoil,  cut  them  off;  or,  if  the  case  prove  inveterate, 
take  up  the  tree,  remove  the  subsoil  as  extensively  as  you  find 
necessary,  pave  or  concrete  the  bottom  of  the  hole  thus  made, 
fill  it  with  good  compost,  etc.,  and  replant  the  tree  carefully. 


INDEX. 


A. 


Almond,  287  ;  Earth  Almond...  360 
Alternating    System    of    Grape 

Culture 351 

American  Span  Layering 440 

Annual  Flowers 436 

Annual  Flowers,  Time  of  Sow- 
ing, &c 455 

Annual  Flowers,  List  of  34  Kinds  455 

Annular  Budding .223 

Aphides  on  Garden  Vegetables. .     91 

"     on  Fruit-trees 264 

Appendages  to  the  Garden 26 

Apple  Blossom,  a  perfect  or  bi- 
sexual Flower 74 

Apples 288 

"      Gathering  and  Wintering 

of 289 

Apples,  Selection  of  fifty  Kinds..  290 

1.  Early  May 290 

2.  "      Strawberry 291 

3.  "      Harvest 291 

4.  Sweet  Bough 292 

5.  Red  Astrakhan 293 

6.  Summer  Rose 294 


7.  Williams's  Favorite 294 

8.  Summer  Pippin 295 

9.  Gloucester  Cheese 296 

10.  American  Pearmain 297 

11.  Jersey  Sweeting 298 

Maiden's  Blush 298 

Porter 299 

Gravenstein 300 

Hawley.. 301 


Page 
Page      26.  Peck's  Pleasant 310 

27.  Jonathan 310 

28.  Rambo 311 

29.  Westfield  Seek-no-further  312 

30.  Broadwell  Sweet 312 

31.  American  Golden  Russet .  313 

32.  Wagener 314 

33.  Rhode  Island  Greening...  315 

34.  Yellow  Belle  Fleur 315 

•35.  Danvers  Sweet 316 

36.  Ortley 317 

37.  Baldwin 318 

38.  Wine  Apple 319 

39.  Swaar 319 

40.  Red  Canada 320 

41.  Lady  Apple 321 

42.  Pryor's  Red 321 

43.  Northern  Spy 322 

44.  Wood's  Greening 323 

45.  Yellow  Newtown  Pippin..  323 

46.  Ladies' Sweeting 324 

47.  Raule's  Janet 325 

48.  Boston  Russet 326 

49.  Poughkeepsie  Russet 326 

50.  Tewkesbury  Winter  Blush  327 
Apples,  Varieties  of,  for  the  East- 


12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 

19.  Vandervere 304 

20.  Dyer 305 

21.  Hubbardston  Nonsuch 306 

22.  Minister 306 

23.  Hurlbut 307 

24.  Male  Carle 308 

25.  Chandler 309 


Fall  Pippin 302 

Fameuse 303 

Mother ..  303 


era  and  Northern  States 328 

Apples  for  the  Middle  States 328 

"  for  the  Western  States...  329 
"  for  the  Southern  and 

Southwestern  States 329 

Apple-tree  Borers  and  parent 

Bugs 266 

Apricot,  eight  Varieties  of 330 

Arbor  for  the  Grape-vine 349 

Arrangement  of  Garden ..........     15 

\rrangement  and  Distance  of 

Fruit-trees  in  Plot  or  Orchard  247 

Artemisias 461 

Artichoke,  Globe 114 

Jerusalem 115 

Asparagus 115 

Assortment  of  Garden  Seeds  for 

a  Familv  Garden 188 


522 


INDEX. 


Page  | 

Autumnal    and   Ever  -  blooming         I  Bud  Worm  and  parent  Moth  .... 
Roses,  thirty  Varieties 480  Bulbous  Roots,  Selection  of  ten 


Page 

268 


Average    Product    of  various)     500 
Farm  Crops,  Table  of )     501 


B. 


hardy  Kinds 447 

Bulbous  Roots,  Selection  of  six 


Beets. 


120 

"  Forms  of. 121 

Bee  Worm Ill 

Bell  Glass 35 

Bene  Plant...,                           ....  124 


Berberry 

Biennials...  


331 
436 


"       Selection  of  12  Kinds..  459 

Binding  Buds 222-3 

"       and  covering  Grafts 238 

Blackberry  332 

Black  Knot 260 

Blanching  136 

Blind  Ditches 20 

Blossoms,  perfect,  &c 74 

"        of  Strawberries 429 

Borecole 147 

Botanical  Peculiarities  of  Straw- 
berry Blossoms 428 

Box  Edging  for  Paths 16 

Box  Wheelbarrow 33 

Branch  Cuttings 197 

Brief  Notes  on  Farm  Crops 495 

Brine  Wash 283 

Brocoli 124 

Brussels  Sprouts 125 

Bud  Cuttings 196 

Budding,  Annular 223 

Knives 211 

Nature  of. 218 

Process  of 220 

Time  of 223 

and  grafting  flowering 
and   ornamental    Shrubs    and 

Trees 441 

Buds,  After-treatment  of 224 

Bud  Scion  and  Buds 220 


Bursting  of  the  Bark  of  Fruit- 
trees 

Bush  Scythe 


tender  Kinds 
Bulbous  Root  Compost. 

Bandages  for  Buds 220  Bulbs  .7. 

Band  Labels 215 

Beans,  English 117 

"      Bush  

"      Pole US 

Bearing     Qualities     of    various 

Fruit-trees 193 

Bedding  Seedling  Plants  of  Veg- 
etables   

Bedding   System  of  Strawberry 
Culture...,  ..  426 


Hook 


451 
444 
436 

260 
53 
53 


C. 


and     parent 


Cabbage,  Early... 

"       Late.... 

"       Worms 

Butterflies 

Camellia 

Canker  Worm  and  parent  Moth 

Cardoon 

Carrot..'.... 


Forms  of . 


Cauliflower 

Celeriac 

Celery 

Chemical  Constituents  of  vari-^ 
ous  Farm  Crops  classed,  Ta-  >• 
bleof ) 

Cherries 

"       Select  List   of   sixteen 
Varieties. 

1.  Purple  Guigne 

2.  Mayduke 

3.  Elton 

4.  Knight's  Early  Black 

5.  Black  Heart 

6.  Black  Tartarian 

7.  Holland  Bigarreau 

8.  Graffion 

9.  Black  Eagle 

10.  Downton  

11.  Downer's  Late 

12.  Florence 

13.  Early  Richmond 

14.  Carnation 

15.  Plum-stone  Morello........ 

16.  Rumsey's  Morello 

Cherry  Worm  or  Slug 

Chervil 

Chinese  Layering 

"      Potato  or  Yam,  Diosco- 

reaBattatas 

Chinese  Sugar  -  cane,  Soryhuin. 
saccharatum 


126 
127 

104 
468 
269 
130 
130 
131 
133 
137 
135 

500 
501 

333 

334 
334 
335 
335 
336 
336 
336 
337 
337 
338 
338 
338 
339 
339 
340 
340 
340 
275 
137 
440 

502 
502 


INDEX. 


523 


Chisel,  Pruning 

Cistern 

Citron 

Citron  Watermelon 137, 

Gives  or  Chives '. 

Cleaning    and    scraping    Fruit- 
trees  

Climbers 

' '       Selection  of  six  Kinds  of 

annual 

Climbing  Shrubs,  12  Kinds.. 

Cold  Bed 

"       in  Pit 

Color  of  Vegetables 

"     Fruits 

Combination  of  Vegetable  Crops 
"          of  Fruit-trees .  249 

"          of  Strawberries 

Compost,  Ash , 

Bulbous  Root 

Flower 

Garden 

Guano 

Layer  and  Cutting 

Plant 

Rose 

Conservatory  or  Plant-room 

Contents,  general 

Core  Worm  and  parent  Moth.... 

Corn 

Corn  Grubs  and  parent  Bugs....? 

Corn  Planter 

Corn  Salad 

Covered  and  Pipe  Drains.. 

Cranberry 

Crop,   estimated   by    its    Money 

Value 

Crop,  estimated  by  its  Capacity 

to  support  Animal  Life 

Crop  Hilling 

Hoeing 

"      Time  for 

Plowing 

Ridging 

Watering 

Crowbar 

Cucumber  Blossom  moncecious... 

Cucumber,  Varieties,  &c 

"         Borer 

"         Bug 

' '        Fly  or  jumping  Beetle 

Cultivator '. 

Currants 

Currant  Worm  or  Borer...; 


Page)  Page 

207  Cuttings  of  Fruit-trees  195 

31       •   "      of  flowering  and  herba- 

362      ceous  Plants 438 

152  Cutworm 107 

137  D. 


256  Dahlias,  Modes  of  increasing 

437  "  twenty-one  Varieties.... 

Dedication 

458  Deterioration,  the  natural  Tend- 
483  ency  to,  in  Vegetables,  how 

29      stimulated. 

28  Dibber 

71  Difficulties  met  with  in  raising 
191  the  Strawberry  explained 

85  Digging 

-251  Dioecious  Blossoms 

429  Diseases  of  Fruit-trees  and  Fruits 

64  Dock 

444  Double  glazing  Sashes 

444  Draining 

63  Drawing-knife 

64  Dressing  Flowers  for  Exhibition 
443  Dressing  Shears 

443  Dwarfing  Stocks 

444  Dwarf  Trees,  planting 

"          pruning  


474 

7 

270 


E. 


138  Edging  for  Paths 

105  Egg-plant 

46  Elements  of  Plant  Life 

139  "         AnimalLife 

21  Enarching,  see  Inarching  ..» 

341  Endive 

Estimates  of  Crop  Values 

497  Ever  -  blooming    and   Autumnal 

Roses,  thirty  Varieties 

498  Evergreens 

90  Evergreen  Trees  and  Shrubs,  14 

92  Kinds  

93  Evergreen    Trees    and    Shrubs, 

91  Time  and  Mode  of  removing.. 
90  Explanatory  Remarks  on  Table 

of  Crops,  &c 


453 

452 


72 
58 

428 

21 

74 

2f><) 

141 

474 

19 

208 

466 

209 

206 

244 

255 


16 

141 

59 

59 

235 
142 
497 

480 
437 

486 
492 

502 


F. 


139  Farm  Culture  of  the  Strawber- 

107      ry 427 

100  Fencing  the  Garden 17 

1 0 1  Fertilization,  Organs  of 74 

44      a.  Perfect  or  bisexual  Flower  74 

341      b.  Monoscio.us  Flower's 74 

275     c.  Direcious  Flowers., 74 


524 


INDEX. 


Fertilization    necessary  to   Pro- 
duction of  the  Seed 

Fertilization  not  absolutely  nec- 
essary to   the   Production   of 

Fruit 

Fertilization  as  related  to  the  In- 
termixture of  Kinds 

Fertilization,  natural  Modes  of... 
"         artificial  Modes  of. 

Field  Mice 

Fig 

Fig  Apple i 

Flavor  of  Fruits,  Peculiarities  of 

Flower  and  Seed  Scissors 

Flower  Compost 

Flower  Pots 

Flower  Transplanter 

Flowers,  hardy  and  tender 

Flowers,  Shrubs,  &c.,  Classes  of. 
"  Modes     of 

increasing 

Flowers,  Shrubs,  &c.,  Choice  of. 

Flowers,     Shrubs,    Trees,     &c., 

blooming      at     corresponding 

Times,  or  Interlinking,  List  of 

Flowers,  Transplanting 

"      hardy   bulbous  -  rooted, 

10  Kinds 

Flowers,  tender,  6  Kinds 

"      tuberous,  21  Varieties.. 

Forcing  and  Training 

"        Fruits 

"       Vegetables 

Fork,  3  Kinds  of. 

Fruit  Cellar 

Fruit  Crack 

Fruit  Gatherer 

Fruiting,  doubtful  Views  respect- 
ing  

Fruiting,  healthful  natural  Tend- 
ency to  

Fruiting,  the  Law  of  premature 

or  forced 

Fruiting,  how  forced ;.... 

Fruit-room  

Fruits,  Classification  of 

'      Color  of 

'      Effect  of  Soil  upon 

"        Climate  upon... 
"         the  Stock  upon. 

'      Flavor  of 

'      Production  of  new 

Shape  of 

'      Specifi  c  Gravity  of 


Page 
76 

76 

77 
78 
78 
285 
343 
76 
191 
209 
444 
36 
52 
445 
434 

437 

435 

446 
445 

447 
451 
452 
507 
511 
508 
54 
26 
259 
211 

256 
257 

257 
258 
26 
189 
191 
189 
190 
219 
191 
194 
191 
19? 

Page 
Fruits,  Theory  of  improving  1  94 
"      transfer  of  N.  andS..  190,    192 
Fruit-trees,  After-culture  in  Plot 
or  Orchard                                    248 

Fruit-trees,  Arrangement  and)     247 
Distances,  with  Tables  )     248 

Fruit-trees,  bearing  Qualities  ....  193 
"          Combinations    of,)     249 
with  Plans,  1,  2  J     251 
Fruit-trees  Habits  of  192 

"        Modes  of  Growth  of.  193 
"         ornamental  488 

"         preparing  Holes  for 
and  planting  245 

a    By  Cuttings.    ...                  .   195 

b    ByLavers  198 

c    By  Seeds                204 

Fruit-trees,  selecting   Varieties 
of  192 

Fruit-trees  setting  out  243 

Fruit-trees,  shortening  Roots  and 
Top                  244 

Fruit-trees,  Stocks  for  budding 
and  grafting               204 

G. 

Garden  Diagram  of    13 

"    Form,  Aspect,  and  Ar- 
rangement      ..      14 

Garden  Engine  34 

Garden  Frame  with  Sashes  28 

Garden  House  with  Fruit-room 
and  Cellar               .                  .     26 

Garden  Rakes  56 

Garden  Shovel              48 

Garden  Trowels  52 

Garlic                                              .  1  43 

Gathering  Apples,  Time  and  Or- 
der of                                           289 

Gathering  and  ripening  Pears  ...  368 
Gauge  ^V^heel  and  Rack                    45 

Girdled  Trees  how  to  save  286 

Gooseberry,  three  Varieties  of...  345 
Gooseberry  AVorm       .       2  75 

"               smaller               276 

Goose-necked  Garden  Hoe  50 

"           Cranesbill  Hoe....     51 
Grafting      225 

"      large  Trees  by  Install- 
ments             220 

Grafting  Modes  of                          228 

a    "  Single  Bud"  228 

b.    "Side"...                            ..  229 

INDEX. 


525 


c.  "Saddle" 

d.  "Cleft" 

"     on  large  Trees 

e.  "Crown" 

f.  "Tongue" 

Grafting  by  Approach,  or  "In- 
arching"   

Grafting,  Time  for 

Grafting    Compositions,   Nos.  1, 

2,3 

Grafting  Knife 

"      Mortar 

"      Stiletto • 

"      Tool.. 

Grafts,  Preparation  of 

"     binding  and  covering 

' '     After-treatment  of 

"     transporting 

Grains,  various,  sowing 

Grape,  13  Varieties  of. 

"     manuring 

"     Modes  of  Culture 

1.  Arbor 

2.  Trellis 

3.  Stakes.. : 

Grape,  Spur  System  of  pruning 

the 

Grape,  Alternating  System 

"     Training  the 

* '     Summer-pruning  the 

"     Winter-pruning  the 

Grape  House,  Culture  in 

Grape  Scissors 

Grape  Worms 

Grass  Edger 

Grasses,  mixed  for  Lawn 

"      sowing 

Grass  Hook 

Grasshopper 

Grass  Scythe 

Green-house 

Plants,  &c .437, 

"          Shrubs,  18  Kinds.... 
"         Plants     of     smaller 

Growth,  20  Kinds 

Green-house  Plants,  wintering  in 

Cellar  or  a  Pit 

Green-house  Plants,  wintering  in 

Dwelling-house 

Green-house  Plants,  steaming ... 
Green-house  Plants,  wintering  in 

Green-house 

Greens,  15  Kinds  

Grouting 


Pagel 

229  Growth  of  wild  Plant  and  Seed  . 

230  Growth  of  cultivated  Plant  and 


232 
233 
234 

235 

237 

239 

212 


240  Hand  "Marker" 57 


213 
214 
227 

238  Harrowing 22 

240  Harrows 42-3 

228  Hatchet...  ..   207 


495 
347 
349 
349 
349 


54 
496 
496 


467 


470 
472 


Seed 


Page 
67 

67 


H. 


Habit  of  blossoming   of  certain 
Fruit-trees  ...  .   193 


Half  Axe 207 

Hammer 207 

Hand  Fork 54 

Hand  Glasses...,  .    34-5 


Hand  Seed-sower 46 

Hardy    Shrubs,  25    Kinds,  with 
Treatment  of,  &c 477 


Heart  Worm 109 

Heating   Apparatus  for    Green- 
house, &c 475 

Hedges,  various  Plants  for 17 

Height  of  Stem  for  Fruit-trees...  241 


350  Herbs,  18  Kinds 144 

Hilling  (Crops) 90 

Hilling  Hoe '. 49 

Hilling  System  for  the  Strawberry  425 

Hill  Layering  Trees,  &c 200 

"  herbaceous  Plants  441 

Hoeing  Crops 92 

Hoes  (6  Varieties) 49-51 

Hook,  Potato 55 


351 

350 
351 
349 
352 
354 
355 
209 
276  Hop  Blossom,  Fertilizer,  >  Dice- 


Hop. 


146 


Fertile,      j  cious       74 

Hop  Worm 109 

Horse  Eadish  ...  .146 


54  Hot  Bed 
103 


30 


"      made  in  Pit 28 

53  Hyacinths 448 

474 


I. 


467  Ice-house 32 

Imperfect  Blossoms  of  the  Straw- 


berry 


429 


Implements  of  common  Culture.     38 

"          for  Budding,  Graft- 
ing, Pruning,  &c 207 

473  Index 507 

473  Insects,  Life,  Periods  of 94 

;      Breathing,     Circulation, 

474  and  Digestion  of 94 

143  Insects,  Changes  of 95 

;      Periodical  Prevalence  of     95 


INDEX. 


Insects  vary  in  Kind  according 
to  Climate,  Locality,  and  Crop 

Insects,  Means  of  Defense  and  Of- 
fense against 

1.  Natural  Enemies 

2.  Changing  Sowing  Time.... 

3.  Their  Tastes  or  Distastes  . . 

4.  Means   of  injuring  or  de- 

stroying them 

5.  A  Limit  to  wise  Labor  in 

Reference  to  them 

Insects    injurious    to  Fruit-trees 

and  Fruit 

Insects  injurious  to  Vegetables  .. 
Insects  on  Green-house  Plants... 
Intermixture  of  Vegetables 

K 

Kale  or  Borecole 

Knives  for  Budding,  &c 

Knives,  various 

Kohl  Eabi  (or  Turnip  Cabbage). 

L. 

Labels,  Band 

"      Stake 

Labeling  and  Diagram  to  be) 

attended  to j 

Large  Trees  as  Stocks 

"          Grafting 

Layering,  Modes  of, 


Page 


95 

96  Manure 


'  American  Span" 


Chinese' 

Common" 

;Hill"  (herbaceous) 

Hill"  (Trees,  &c.) 

Layer  and  Cutting  Compost 

Layers  of  Shrubs,  &c... 

Layers  properly  Branch.  Cuttings 

Layer  Stocks  for  Fruit-trees 

Lawn,  mixed  Grasses  for 

Leaf  Blight 

Leaf  Mould 

Leek 

Lemon 

Lettuce 

Ley  Wash 

Lime 

Line  Reel  and  Line 

List  of  Trees  and  Shrubs,  Peren- 
nials, &c.,  that  correspond  in 

their  Times  of  blossoming 

Loam  .. 


443 
439 
199 


446 
442 


Page 


M. 


Manure  Fork 

Heap 

96  Manures,  Classes  of 

97  "       Application  of. 

97          "       certain,  free  from  Weed 

Seeds  

97  Manures  suited  to  certain  Soils.. 

"      liquid 

98  "           "     how  prepared.... 
Manuring  and  Manures 

263  Manuring  Fruit-trees 

99  "         the  Strawberry 

476  Marker,  Hand 

77        "       Horse 

Mattock 

Means  by  which  the  various  El- 
147      ements  of  the  Soil  are  returned 

211  to  it 

212  Mechanical  Preparation  of  vari- 
147      ous  Soils 

Melon,  Musk 

Water 

215  Mice,  Field 

217  Mildew. , 

215  Milk  the  sole  perfect  Compound 
251      for      Animal      Support      and 

225  Growth 

226  Missionary  Hoe 

198  Model  Trees  in  Form,  &c 

440  Modes  of  Growth  in  Fruit-trees  . 

440  Moles,  Injuries  and  Benefits  of.. 
198  Monoecious  Blossoms 

441  Money  Estimate  of  Crop  Values 
200  Mulberry. 


Mushrooms 


Musk  Melon. 


Spawn  for  ... 


203  Mustard 

496 

261 

442  Nasturtium. 

148 


N. 


Natural  Fertilization 


362  Nectarine. 
148 
284 
362 
57 


"       8  Varieties  of 

Nest  Worm,   Eggs,  and   parent 

Moths 

Net  Worm  and  parent  Moth 

New  Varieties  of  Vegetables..... 

a.  By  Selection 

b.  By  Intermixture 

c.  By  Transfer  or  foreign  Ac- 

climation... 


54 
63 
60 
62 

62 
61 
64 
65 
60 
248 
427 
57 
42 
48 


59 

18 
150 
152 
285 
261 


503 
51 
368 
193 
113 
74 
497 
357 
153 
153 
150 
154 


155 

78 
359 
360 

271 

272 
79 
80 
80 

81 


INDEX. 


527 


d.  By  Disease 

e.  By  Introduction  from  other 

Countries  

Notch  Worm  and  parent  Moths . 
Nuts,  13  Kinds 

O. 
Offshoots  or  Stem-sucker  Stocks 

Okra 

Olive 

Onion 

"    Forms  of.... 

"     Sets 

"     Escallions 

"     Top 

"     Potato 

"    Welsh  

Orange,  Lemon,  Lime,  Citron,  > 

and  Shaddock ) 

Organs  of  Fertilization,  with  their 

Petals 

Organs  of  Fertilization,  without 

Petals 

Ornamental  Trees  and  Shrubs... 

P. 

Palmer  Worm  and  parent  Moth 

Parsley 

Parsley  Worm 

Parsnep 

"       Forms  of 

Pea  Bug 

Peach 

'     Classes  of v 

'     Decay  of. 

'     Disease  of. 

'     Forms  of 

'     Growth  and  Culture  of .... 

1    24  Varieties  of 

Peach  Worm,  with  Chrysalis  and 

parent  Flies 

Pears  

difficult  to  select 

Distances  for 

Gathering  and  Ripening  . . 

Growth  of  Roots  of 

Model  Trees  of 

Pruning 

Soil  suitable  for 

Winter  Varieties  of 

Selection  of  forty  Varieties 

1.  Madeline '. 

2.  Bloodgood  

3.  Dearborn's  Seedling 


Page 
81 

81 
273 
360 


203 
155 
361 
156 
157 
158 
158 
158 
159 
160 
362 
363 

74 

75 
437 


367 


368 
368 


4.  Julienne 

5.  Tyson  

6.  Rostiezer  

7.  Summer  Franc  Real 

8.  Bartlett 

9.  Canandaigua 

10.  Vanilla 

1 1 .  Stevens's  Genesee 

12.  Dunmore 

13.  Heathcot 

14.  Fond  ante  d'Automne 

15.  Lodge 

16.  Flemish  Beauty 

17.  Maria  Louisa 

18.  Ananas 

19.  Louise  Bonne  de  Jersey... 

20.  Beurre'  Bosc 

21.  Urbaniste ,... 

22.  Petre 

23.  Seckel 

24.  Virgalieu  (or  White  Doy- 

enne)  

25.  Gray  Virgalieu   (or  GraJ 

Doyenne) ;.... 

26.  Beurre' Die! 

27.  Duchesse  d'Angouleme  ... 
274      28.  Dix 

160  29.  Onondaga 

110      30.  Oswego  Beurre' 

161  31.  Beurre  d'Aremberg 

161      32.  Glout  Morceau 

101      33.  Passe  Colmar  

363      34.  Lawrence  

363      35.  Columbia 

365      36.  Knight's  Monarch 

262      37.  Chaumontelle 

363      38.  Winter  Nelis 

365  39.  Winter  Bell 

366  40.  Easter  Beurre' 

Pear-tree  Worm  and  parent  Bee- 

276      tie  

367  Peas,  early 

367  "    late 

368  Peat  or  Swamp  Muck 

368  Peppergrass 


Peppers 


368  Perennials 


"         Selection  of  26  Kinds 
Perfect  or  bisexual  Blossoms 


368  Pickaxe 

369  Pickles,  various 

370  Pie-plant 

370  Pinks,  Picotees,  Carnations 

371  Pipe  or  covered  Drains 


Page 
371 
372 
372 
373 
374 
375 
376 
377 
378 
379 
380 
381 
382 
383 
384 
385 
386 
387 

'888 
389 

390 

390 
391 
392 
393 
395 
396 
397 
398 
399 
400 
401 
402 
.403 
404 
404 
406 

278 

163 

163 

442 

166 

165 

436 

461 

74 

47 

167 

168 

464 

21 


INDEX. 


Page 

Pit 26 

Plan  of  Garden 13 

Plant  Compost 443 

Planting  Fruit-trees 243 

Plant-room  or  Conservatory 474 

Plowing 21 

"       in  Crops .'.     91 

"       Subsoil ..     23 

"       Trench 

Plows,  7  Varieties 38,  42 

Plum,  the 407 

Distances  for 407 

Planting  and  Pruning  ....  407 

Qualities  of 407 

Soil  suited  to 407 

Varieties  of  for  Drying  ...  407 
Plums,  Selection  of  25  Varieties    407 

1.  Ottoman 408 

2.  Hudson  Gage 408 

3.  Peach 

4.  Duane's  Purple 409 

5.  Schenectady 410 

6r  M'Laughlin 410 

7.  Green  Gage 410 

8.  Lawrence's  Favorite 411 

9.  Washington 411 

10.  Lombard 412 

11.  Bleecker's  Gage 

12.  Smith's  Orleans 412 

13.  Cruger's  Scarlet 413 

14.  Columbian  Gage 414 

15.  Jefferson 414 

16.  Imperial  Gage 415 

17.  Purple  Gage 415 

18.  Manning's  Long  Blue 415 

19.  Dominie  Dull 416 

20.  Catharine 416 

21.  Coe's  Golden  Drop 417 

22.  Coe's  Late  Bed 

23.  Blue  Imperatrice 418 

24.  Frost  Gage 418 

25.  Ickworth 

Plum  Worm  (Curculio)  with  pa- 
rent Bug , 278 

Pomegranate  419 

Potato 170 

1 '      combined  with  Pole  Beans  171 

"      Hook 55 

"      Size  for  Sets  of.... 171 

Potting  seedling  Vegetables 

Preface .,..       5 

Premature  Fruiting .., 

Preparation  of  Scions  and  Grafts  227 
Preparation  of  Soils  for  Garden.     18 


Preparatory  Steps  for  final  Trans- 
planting of  seedling  Vegeta- 
bles  

1.  Bedding 

2.  Potting. 

3.  Grouting 

Preparing   Holes    and   planting 

Trees 

23  Production  of  new  Varieties  of 

Vegetables 

Propagation  of  Fruit-trees 

"  Flowers 

Shrubs 

Protection  of  Garden 

Pruning,  opposite  Purposes  of, &c. 

"       dwarf  Trees 

"       ornamental  Shrubs,  &c. 
"       and  Forming  of  Fruit 

and  Shade  Trees 254, 

409  Pruning,  "Root" 

"  Summer" 

"Winter" 

"        excessive.... 

Chisel 

Knife 

Saw 

Shears,  3  Sizes 


412  Pumpkin 


Q. 


Quantities  of  various  Seeds  re- 
quired to  sow  or  plant  an  Acre, 

Table  of 

Quantity  of  Grain  Seed  per  Acre 
Quince,  Varieties  and  Culture  of 

R. 
Rack  and  Gauge  Wheel 


Page 

87 
87 
87 
88 

245 

79 
195 
437 
437 

17 
251 
255 
477 

488 
255 
254 
252 
253 
207 
211 
208 
209 
172 


496 
495 
420 


417  Radish 

Forms  of 

Rake,  3  Varieties  of.... 

419  Rape  or  Colewort 

Raspberry 

Varieties 

Modes  of  planting 

Soil  for 

pruning  the 

Frame  for 

Red  Worm,  or  Wire  Worm 

87  Removing  Evergreens,  Time  and 

Mode  of,  &c 

257  Removing  ornamental  Trees,  &c. 

a.  Practice  of  Nurserymen  .... 

b.  Preparation  for 


45 
173 
173 

56 
175 
422 
422 
423 
423 
423 
424 
111 

492 
492 
492 
492 


INDEX. 


529 


Page 
Reproduction,   Tendency   to    in 

Vegetables 66 

Reproduction  effected  principally 

in  a  single  Channel 66 

Reproductive  Tendency  weaken- 
ed in  certain  Cases  by  Cultiva- 
tion...    67 


Page 

Selections  of  Varieties  of  the  Ap- 
ple for  various  States 328 

a.  For  the  Eastern  and  North- 

ern States 328 

b.  For  the  Middle  States 328 

c.  For  the  Western  States 32i> 

d.  For  the  Southern  States  ...  329 


Ridging  Soils  for  Winter 22 ,  Setting  out  Fruit-trees 243 

"       Crops 90]  "         Shade     and     orna- 


Road  Wash 442 

Rocambole 143 

Rock  Work...  485 


Root  Pruning 255  Shade  Trees 


Root  Stocks  ...........................  201 

Root  Worms  ..........................  110 

Roquette  ...............................  176 

Rose  Bug  ..............................  282 

Rose  Compost  ........................  444 

Roses,  Everblooming  and  Au- 

tumnal, 30  Varieties  .............  480 

Roses,  "June",  or  Summer- 

blooming,  18  Varieties  ..........  480 

Roses,  Running,  6  Varieties  ......  484 

Rose  Worm  or  Slug  ................  482 

S. 
Saddle  Grafting  .....................  229 

Sage  ....................................   176 

Salsafy  ................................  176 


Sand 


442 


mental  Trees 492 

Seventeen-year  Locust 280 

Shaddock..  ..  363 


437 
Seedlings  of  .........  487 

'  '        Selection  of  twenty- 
four  Kinds  .........................  489 

Shallots  ................................  178 

Shape  of  Fruit,  desirable  ..........  191 

Shears.  Dressing  .....................  209 

"     Pruning,  3  Sizes  ..........  209 

Shovel,  3  Forms  of.  .................     48 

Shrubs  .................................  437 

"     for  Green-house,  18  Kinds  467 
"    hardy,  25  Kinds  ............  477 

"     climbing,  12  Kinds  ........  483 

Shrubs,  &c.,  Propagation  of......  437 

Side  Grafting  ........................  229 

Sieves  of  2  sizes  .........  ,t  ............     35 

"    for  Flower  Seeds  ...........     36 

Single  Bud  Grafting  ................  228 


Sashes,  Size  for,  &c.,  &c  ...........     29]Size  of  Fruit,  desirable  .............  194 


Scale  Insects 265 

Scions    and  Buds   prepared  for 


Budding .  220  Soils 

Scissors,  Flower  and  Seed 209 

"      Grape 209 

Scorzonera 177 

Scraper,  Tree 208 

Scythe,  Bush 63 


Seed  and  Plant,  wild,  of  meagre 


Growth 67  Sour-sap  Blight 


Seed  and  Plant  enlarged  by  Cul- 
tivation    67 

Seedling  Shade  Trees 487 

Seedling  Stocks 204 

Seeds  of  Fruit-trees 204 


Soapsuds  Wash 284 


Soft  Soap     "      284 

442 

Loam 442 

Leaf  Mould 442 

Peat  or  Swamp  Muck 442 

Road  Wash 442 

Sand...  ..  442 


"      Grass 53  Soils,  Effect  of,  upon  Fruits 189 

Sea  Kale 177  Sorel : 178 


Sources  of  Vegetation 59 


Shade  Trees 487JSpade 


261 

Sowing,  Manner  of. 82 

Time  of 83 

Depth  of 84 

in  Hot  Bed 30 

Sowing  Tube 46 

48 


Seed  Sower,  Hand 46 

"         Horse     (or     Corn 

Planter) 46 

Seeds,  Vitality  of. 67 

Selecting  Fruits 190-2 


Spade-fork 54 

Specific  Gravity  of  Fruits 192 

Spinach 179 

"      New  Zealand 179 

Spur  Pruning  of  the  Grape 350 


530 


INDEX. 


Page 

Squash  Bug 102 

Squash,  Summer  180 

"      Winter 181 

Stake  Labels 21 

Stakes  for  Grape-vines 35 1 

Steaming  Green-house 476 

Stem-sucker  Stocks,  or  Offshoots  203 
"Stock"  or  Character  of  Vege- 
tables defined 73 

Stock  Knife 212 

Stock  Splitter 215 

Stocks  for  Fruit-trees 201 

Incongruous 201 

Root 201 

Sucker : 202 

Stem-sucker,  or  Offshoots  203 


Layer  • 203  Thrust  Hoe  (see  Hoe) 

C3^^^n:«~  on^  ^  ' 


Seedling 204 

for    weak    or     irregular 


Thyme 

Ties,  various  Materials  for. 


Stocks  for  Dwarfing 206 

Stocks,  suitable,  prepared,  bud- )    221 
ded,&c j    222 


206  Time  of  Budding. 


Strawberry,  the  425  Tobacco  Water  Wash 


ties  of  the. 


botanical  Peculiari- 


•••• 4:28  Tongue  Grafting... 

Strawberry,  Classes  of  the 429  Training  the  Grape 

Combination         of  «         r>fEV™  «•_«•! 

Classes  of  the 429 

Strawberry,  Difficulties  in   rais- 


ing the. 


Strawberry,  Farm  Culture  of  the  427 

"         Manuring  the 427 

"  Selection  of  4  Va-] 
rieties  of  each  Class  of  the,  ( 
with  additions  to  each  t 

named .... ] 

Strawberry,  Systems  of  Culture 
of  the...,  ..  425 


430 
to 
434 


T. 

Table  of  Arrangement,  DisO 
tances,  Area,  &c.,  for  plant-  > 
ing  Fruit-trees ) 

Table  of  Combination  of  Fruit- ) 


trees 


Table  of  various  Farm  and 
Root  Crops,  giving  estimated 
Yield  per  Acre  and  chemic- 
al Analysis,  with  explana- 
tory Remarks 


Page 

247 

248 

249 
251 

500 
501 


Table  of  Quantities  of  various 
Seeds  required  to  sow  or  plant 
an  Acre,  with  Explanations... 

Tank 

Theory  of  Advancement  in  Fruits 


Grafting 
Tobacco  Smoke  for  Plants. 
Tobacco  Wash.., 


Tomato 


of  Fruit-trees,  fan  form 
"    •"  "    horizontal 
Transplanter,  Flower. 


428  Transplanting,   Effect    and   Im- 


496 
33 

194 
51 

183 
218 
223 

237 
476 
285 
284 
183 
234 
349 
515 
516 
52 


portance  of  to  Vegetables,  &c.     86 

Transplanting,  Mode  of  final 89 

preparing     seed- 
ling Vegetables  for  final.... 


Transplanting  Flowers 


Fruit-trees  ......... 

shade,  ornament- 
al, and  evergreen  Trees,  &c... 


425  Tree  Scraper 


Trees,  evergreen. 


shade  and  ornamental .... 


b.  Bedding 426 

Straw  Mats  (Mode  of  making). .  36-7 

Stub  Hoe 47  Trellis  for  the  Grape 

Subsoil  Plowing 23  Trench  Plowing, 

Succession  of  Flowers 446  Trenching 

Sucker  Stocks 202  Trowels,  GaVden" I'.'.'.'.'.' 

Sulphur  Paint  Wash 285  Tulips 

Sulphur  Wash 285  Turnip  Bug 'or' Flv.'. '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. 

Summer  Pruning 254,  352  Turnips .". 

Summer  Savory 181         "      Forms  of 

Sweet  Basil 182 

Sweet  Marjoram 182  V. 

Sweet  Potato 1 82  Vegetable     Forms,    Advantages 

Syringe .34'     and  Disadvantages  ot'certnin  . 


87 
445 
243 

492 

208 

486 

487 

350 

23 

23 

52 

449 

102 

185 

186 


INDEX. 


531 


Vegetable  Forms,  Changes  in.... 
"  Importance  of 

"  Original 

Vegetables     alphabetically    ar- 
ranged for  the  Garden,  with 

Directions  for  Culture,  &c 

Vegetables,  Color  of 

"         Production   of  new 

Varieties  of 

Vine  Borer 

Vitality  of  Seeds 

Continuance  of 

Conditions  of 

Causes  which  injure  or  de- 
stroy  

Various  effects  of  weakening 

W. 
Washes  to  destroy  Insects 

1.  Brine  Wash 

2.  Soap-suds  Wash 

3.  Ley  Wash 

4.  Soft  Soap  Wash 

5.  Whale-oil  Soap  Wash 


Page  Page 

69      6.  Tobacco  Water 284 

69      7.  Tobacco  Wash  (or  Mixture)  285 

69      8.   Sulphur  Paint  Wash 285 

9.  Sulphur  Wash 285 

Water  Cress... 188 

114  Watering  Crops 93 

71  Watering  Pot 34 

Whale-oil  Soap  Wash 284 

79  Wheelbarrow,  Canal  and  Box  ...     33 
276  Winged  Insects  on  Fruit-trees...  280 

67  Wintering  Green-house  Plants  in 

68  Cellar  or  Pit 472 

68  Wintering  half-hardy  Plants  in 

Pit 28 

68  Winter  Pears 368 

68  Winter  Pruning  Orchard 252 

"  the  Grape 354 

Wire  Worm  or  Red  Worm Ill 

283  Worms  or  Larvae  on  Fruit-trees, 

&c 266 

Worms  or  Larva?  on  Vegetables    104 


283 
284 
284 
284 

284 


Y. 

Yellows  in  the  Peach ...  . .  262 


THE  END. 


CURTIS'S    HISTORY 

OF    THE 

CONSTITUTION. 


HISTORY   OF  THE   ORIGIN,   FORMATION,   AND   ADOP- 
TION   OF    THE    CONSTITUTION    OF    THE    UNITED 
STATES.    By  GEORGE  TICKNOR  CURTIS.     Complete  in  2  vols. 
8vo,  Muslin,  $4  00  ;  Law  Sheep,  $5  00 ;  Half  Calf,  $6  00. 
A  book  so  thorough  as  this  in  the  comprehension  of  its  subject,  so  impartial 
in  the  summing  up  of  its  judgments,  so  well  considered  in  its  method,  and  so 
truthful  in  its  matter,  may  safely  challenge  the  most  exhaustive  criticism.     The 
Constitutional  History  of  our  country  has  not  before  been  made  the  subject  of  a 
special  treatise.     We  may  congratulate  ourselves  that  an  author  has  been  found 
so  capable  to  do  full  justice  to  it ;  for^hat  the  work  will  take  its  rank  among  the 
received  text-books  of  our  political  literature  will  be  questioned  by  no  one  who 
has  given  it  a  careful  perusal. — National  Intelligencer. 

We  know  of  no  person  who  is  better  qualified  (now  that  the  late  Daniel  Web- 
ster is  no  more),  to  undertake  this  important  history. — Boston  Journal. 

It  will  take  its  place  among  the  classics  of  American  literature. — Boston  Cour- 
ier. 

The  author  has  given  years  to  the  preliminary  studies,  and  nothing  has  es- 
caped him  in  the  patient  and  conscientious  researches  to  which  he  has  devoted 
so  ample  a  portion  of  time.  Indeed,  the  work  has  been  so  thoroughly  performed 
that  it  will  never  need  to  be  done  over  again  ;  for  the  sources  have  been  exhaust- 
ed, and  the  materials  put  together  with  so  much  judgment  and  artistic  skill  that 
taste  and  the  sense  of  completeness  are  entirely  satisfied. — N.  Y.  Daily  Times. 

A  most  important  and  valuable  contribution  to  the  historical  and  political  lit- 
erature of  the  United  States.  All  publicists  and  students  of  public  law  will  be 
grateful  to  Mr.  Curtis  for  the  diligence  and  assiduity  with  which  he  has  wrought 
out  the  great  mine  of  diplomatic  lore  in  which  the  foundations  of  the  Arnericau 
Constitution  are  laid,  and  for  the  light  he  has  thrown  on  his  wide  and  arduous 
subject.—  London  Morning  Chronicle. 

To  trace  the  history  of  the  formation  of  the  Constitution,  and  explain  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  time  and  country  out  of  which  its  various  provisions  grew,  is  a 
task  worthy  of  the  highest  talent.  To  have  performed  that  task  in  a  satisfacto- 
ry manner  is  an  achievement  with  which  an  honorable  ambition  may  well  be 
gratified.  We  can  honestly  say  that  in  our  opinion  Mr.  Curtis  has  fairly  won 
this  distinction.— N.  Y.  Courier  and  Enquirer. 

We  have  seen  no  history  which  surpasses  it  in  the  essential  qualities  of  a 
standard  work  destined  to  hold  a  permanent  place  in  the  impartial  judgment  of 
future  generations.— Ttosfcm  Traveler. 

Should  the  second  volume  sustain  the  character  of  the  first,  we  hazard  nothing 
in  claiming  for  the  entire  publication  the  character  of  a  standard  work.  It  will 
furnish  the  only  sure  guide  to  the  interpretation  of  the  Constitution,  by  unfolding 
historically  the  wants  it  was  intended  to  supply,  and  the  evils  which  it  was  in- 
tended to  remedy.— Boston  Daily  Advertiser. 

This  volume  is  an  important  contribution  to  our  constitutional  and  historical 
literature.  *  *  *  Every  true  friend  of  the  Constitution  will  gladly  welcome  it. 
The  author  has  presented  a  narrative  clear  and  interesting.  It  evinces  careful 
research,  skillful  handling  of  material,  lucid  statement,  and  a  desire  to  write  in 
a  tone  and  manner  worthy  of  the  great  theme.  —Boston  Post. 

Published  by  HARPER  &  BROTHERS, 

Franklin  Square,  New  York. 


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LA    PLATA: 

THE  AEGENTINE  CONFEDERATION, 

AND 

PARAGUAY. 

Being  a  Narrative  of  the  Exploration  of  the  Tributaries  of  the  Eiver 
La  Plata  and  Adjacent  Countries,  during  the  Years  1853,  '54,  '55, 
and  '56,  under  the  orders  of  the  United  States  Government. 

BY  THOMAS  J.  PAGE,  U.S.N., 

Commander  of  the  Expedition. 

• 
One  Volume  Large  Octavo,  with  Map  and  numerous  Illustrations. 

Muslin,  Three  Dollars. 

This  Volume  contains  the  Official  Narrative  of  one  of  the  most  important  ex- 
peditions ever  sent  out  by  our  Government.  Early  in  1853  the  steamer  Water 
Witch  was  placed  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  PAGE,  with  instructions  to 
explore  the  Rivers  of  La  Plata,  and  report  upon  their  navigability  and  adapta- 
tion to  commerce.  Lieutenant  PAGE  executed  his  commission  with  rare  fidelity 
and  intelligence,  and  has  embodied  the  results  in  this  volume.  The  explora- 
tions described  in  the  Narrative  embrace  an  extent  of  3600  miles  of  river  naviga- 
tion, and  4400  miles  of  journey  by  land  in  Paraguay  and  the  Argentine  Confed- 
eration. The  River  Paraguay  alone  was  found  to  be  navigable,  at  low  water,  by 
a  steamer  drawing  nine  feet,  for  more  than  two  thousand  miles  from  the  ocean. 
The  basin  of  La  Plata  is  almost  equal  in  extent  to  that  of  the  Mississippi,  and 
not  inferior  in  salubrity  of  climate  and  fertility  of  soil,  while  the  head  waters  of 
its  rivers  penetrate  the  richest  mineral  provinces  of  Brazil  and  Bolivia.  The 
products  of  this  region  must  find  their  outlet  through  the  River  La  Plata.  The 
population  numbers  scarcely  one  person  to  a  square  mile,  but  great  inducements 
to  emigration  are  now  offered  by  the  Argentine  Confederation.  The  commerce 
of  the  country,  already  considerable,  is  capable  of  immediate  and  almost  indef- 
inite increase. 

Lieutenant  PAGE'S  Narrative  contains  ample  information  respecting  the  soil, 
climate,  and  productions  of  the  country,  and  the  manners,  habits,  and  customs  of 
the  people.  A  full  account  is  given  of  the  unfortunate  rupture  with  Paraguay, 
showing  conclusively  that  the  attack  upon  the  Water  Witch  was  altogether  un- 
warranted, and  the  allegations  by  which  President  Lopez  attempted  to  justify  it 
entirely  destitute  of  truth.  An  interesting  and  valuable  account  of  the  Jesuit 
Missions  in  La  Plata  is  appended  to  the  Narrative. 

The  Illustrations  comprise  the  accurate  Map  of  the  Country  prepared  by  the 
orders  of  our  Government,  Portraits  of  TIrquiza,  Lopez,  Francia,  and  Loyola, 
and  numerous  Engravings  of  Scenery,  Character,  and  Incident. 

Published  by  HARPER  &  BROTHERS, 

Franklin  Square,  New  York. 


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"  The  most  magnificent  contribution  of  the  present  cen- 
tury to  the  cause  of  geographical  knowledge." 

DR.  EARTH'S 
NORTH  AND  CENTRAL  AFRICA. 


Travels  and  Discoveries  in  North  and  Central  Africa.      Being  a 

Journal  of  an  Expedition  undertaken  under  the  Auspices  of 

H.B.M's   Government  in    the  Years    1849-1855.    .By  HENRY 

BARTH,  Ph.D.,  D.C.L.,  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Geographical  and 

Asiatic  Societies,  &c.,  &c.     Profusely  and  elegantly  illustrated. 

Complete  in  3  vols.  8vo,  Muslin,  $2  50  a  Volume;  Half  Calf, 

$10  50  a  set. 

Dr.  Earth's  wonderful  travels  approach  the  Equator  from  the  North  as  nearly 
as  Dr.  Livingstone's  from  the  South,  and  thus  show  to  future  travelers  the  field 
which  still  remains  open  for  exploration  and  research — Vol.  III.,  completing 
the  work,  is  in  the  press,  and  will  be  published  shortly. 

The  researches  of  Dr.  Barth  are  of  the  highest  interest.  Few  men  have  ex- 
isted so  qualified,  both  by  intellectual  ability  and  a  vigorous  bodily  constitution, 
for  the  perilous  part  of  an  African  discoverer  as  Dr.  Barth.  — London  Times, 
Sept.  8,  185T. 

It  richly  merits  all  the  commendation  bestowed  upon  it  by  "the  leading  jour- 
nal of  Europe." — Corr.  National  Intelligencer. 

Every  chapter  presents  matter  of  more  original  interest  than  an  ordinary  vol. 
ume  of  travels— London  Leader. 

For  extent  and  variety  of  subjects,  the  volumes  before  us  greatly  surpass  every 
other  work  on  African  travel  with  which  it  has  been  our  fortune  to  meet— Lon. 
don  Athenceum. 

Dr.  Barth  is  the  model  of  an  explorer— patient,  persevering,  and  resolute.— 
London  Spectator. 

No  one  who  wishes  to  know  Africa  can  afford  to  dispense  with  this  work — Bos- 
ton Traveler. 

A  most  wonderful  record. — Poughkeepsie  Democrat. 

It  is  the  most  magnificent  contribution  of  the  present  century  to  the  cause  of 
geographical  knowledge.—  N.  Y.  Evangelist. 

The  most  important  contribution  to  Geographical  Science  that  has  been  made 
in  our  time.  Thousands  of  readers  in  our  country  will  be  anxious  to  get  poses- 
si  on  of  this  treasure  of  knowledge. — JV.  Y.  Observer. 

One  of  the  most  important  works  of  the  kind  which  has  appeared  for  an  age.— 
Lutheran  Observer. 

It  can  not  fail  to  find  its  way  into  the  libraries  of  most  scholars. — Lynchburg 
Virginian. 

The  personal  details  give  the  work  great  interest.— Philadelphia  Press. 

Dr.  Earth's  work  is  a  magnificent  contribution  to  geographical  and  ethno- 
graphical science. — N.  Y.  Independent. 

Your  curiosity  is  awakened,  step  by  step,  as  with  diminished  resources  he 
works  his  way  through  fanatical  and  rapacious  tribes,  ready  in  resources  and 
never  desponding,  and  buoyed  up  by  the  unconquerable  desire  to  surpass  his 
predecessors  in  the  thoroughness  and  in  the  range  of  his  discoveries. — Albion. 

Among  the  moat  wonderful  achievements  of  modern  times. — Western  Christian 
Advocate. 

A  most  valuable  contribution  to  the  standard  literature  of  the  world.— Troy 
Times. 

Published  by  HARPER    &    BROTHERS, 

Franklin  Square,  New  York. 


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THE 

CHILD'S   BOOK   OF   NATURE. 

For  the  use  of  Families  and  Schools ;  intended  to  aid  Mothers  and 
Teachers  in  Training  Children  in  the  Observation  of  Nature.  In 
Three  Parts.  PART  I.  Plants.— PART  II.  Animals.— PART  III. 
Air,  Water,  Heat,  Light,  &c.  By  WORTHINGTON  HOOKER,  M.D., 
Author  of  "Physician  and  Patient,"  "Human  Physiology,"  &c. 
Kichly  Illustrated.  With  Questions  for  the  use  of  Teachers. 
The  Three  Parts  complete  in  one  vol.  small  4to,  Muslin,  $1  25 ; 
Separately,  Muslin,  50  cents  each. 

The  Child's  Book  of  Nature,  by  Dr.  Worthington  Hooker,  is  a  valuable  Amer- 
ican contribution  to  the  literature  designed  for  the  young.  It  describes  the  ways 
of  nature  in  the  maintenance  of  plants,  animals,  and  things  that  pertain  to  air, 
water,  heat,  light,  &c.,  very  correctly,  and  so  simply  that  the  volume  may  be 
taken  into  use  as  a  reading-book  by  any  tolerably  quick  child  between  four  and 
five  years  old.  It  requires  more  power  for  the  comprehension  of  its  later  pages, 
but  the  whole  of  it  may  be  easily  mastered  before  a  child  has  reached  the  age  of 
ten.  In  mastering  it  he  will  have  learned  what  children  ought  to  learn,  and  may 
be  brought  to  enjoy  almost  as  keenly  as  their  faiiy  lore.  We  hope  that  there 
will  be  a  large  sale  in  England  for  this  admirably-planned  child's  book.  The 
author  talks  philosophy  with  a  man's  brain  and  a  child's  tongue,  showing  a  skill 
not  common  in  those  who  profess  to  teach  the  yonng. — London  Examiner. 

It  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  ^nd  satisfactory  books  of  the  kind  which  has 
recently  come  under  our  notice.  The  illustrations  in  all  departments  are  excel- 
lent.—^. Y.  Daily  News. 

A  capital  book,  full  of  useful  information,  happily  imparted,  to  aid  mothers 
and  teachers  in  training  children  in  the  observation  of  nature.  Buy  it  and  use 
it,  and  you  will  find  it  worth  twice  as  much  as  it  costs. — N.  Y.  Observer. 

As  intended  to  supply  an  actual  want,  this  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  books 
of  the  day.— N.  Y.  Sun. 

One  of  the  most  attractive  guides  to  the  study  of  natural  history  for  the 
young  that  htt  ever  come  under  our  notice. — Brooklyn  Daily  Eagle. 

We  comrireim  it  as  worthy  a  place  in  families  and  schools,  where  young  chil- 
dren are  to  be  educated.— Genessee  Evangelist. 

An  instructive  book  for  children  and  youth — one  which  will  be  read  by  them 
with  avidity  for  their  own  amusement,  and  which  is  admirably  adapted  for  use 
as  a  text-book  in  schools. — Phila.  Christian  Observer. 

A  model  book  for  children.  Its  interest  would  enchain  their  attention,  and  its 
moral  and  religious  lessons  are  appropriate  and  excellent. — Evangelist. 

It  can  not  fail  of  proving  a  blessing  to  every  domestic  circle  into  which  it  is  in- 
troduced.— N.  Y.  Chronicle. 

A  work  which  answers  a  want  long  experienced  by  the  rising  generation.  It 
fills 'a  void  in  our  catalogue  of  juvenile  literature.  We  commend  it  to  the  con- 
sideration of  parents. — Troy  Daily  Times. 

We  recommend  every  mother,  and  every  teacher,  and  all  who  are  attempting 
the  education  of  children,  to  get  this  book.  It  will  abundantly  repay  the  outlay. 
— Boston  Congregationalist. 

The  idea  of  Dr.  Hooker  is  a  noble  one,  and  the  manner  in  which  he  has  per- 
formed his  labor  can  not  but  meet  with  general  approbation.— Troy  Daily  Whig. 

A  most  agreeable  and  useful  book  for  children.  While  it  delights,  it  also  in- 
structs them.— Detroit  Tribune. 

One  of  the  finest  books  for  the  young  which  we  have  received  for  many  a  day. 
Let  parents  buy,  and  read,  and  instruct  their  children  from  such  works  as  this. 
—Christian  Offering  (Oshawa,  C.  W.) 

An  admirable  work  for  children. — N.  Y.  Teacher. 

Interesting  and  profitable.— Protestant  Churchman. 

Published  by  HARPER    &    BROTHERS, 

Franklin    Square,  New  York. 


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VAUTS  ARCHITECTURE. 


VILLAS  AND  COTTAGES :  A  Series  of  Designs  Prepared  for 
Execution  in  the  United  States.  By  CALVERT  VAUX,  Archt., 
(late  DOWNING  &  VAUX),  Newburgh  on  the  Hudson.  Illus- 
trated by  300  Engravings.  Sixth  Edition.  8vo,  Muslin,  $2  00. 

Unquestionably  the  best  and  handsomest  work  of  the  kind  ever  published. — 
Spirit  of  the  Times. 

Every  idea,  notion,  fancy,  plan,  or  style  in  rural  architecture  that  is  worth 
any  thing  is  here  illustrated,  and  all  the  reader  and  rural  embryo  cottage  or  villa 
builder  has  to  do  is  to  choose  for  himself. — Protestant  Churchman. 

We  would  be  very  happy  to  make  the  merits,  the  attractiveness,  and  value  of 
this  work  so  patent  to  our  readers,  that  from  all  parts  of  the  United  States  they 
would  order  it  for  immediate  use.  It  is  one  of  the  handsomest  specimens  of 
book-making — beautiful  paper,  splendid  typography,  handsome  cuts,  and  draw- 
ings (three  hundred  engravings),  and  is,  therefore,  an  ornamental  as  well  as  useful 
volume.  Such  a  book  as  this  must  be  invaluable  to  those  who  desire  to  suit 
themselves  with  a  plan  before  beginning  to  build,  who  would  count  the  cost  to 
see  the  end  from  the  beginning;  and  by  sending  $2  00  to  HARPER  &  BROTHERS, 
they  will  secure  this  volume,  worth  hundreds  to  them,  if  they  have  no  othtr 
means  of  obtaining  the  same  instruction. — N.  Y.  Observer. 

An  admirable  union  of  good  judgment  and  refined  taste.  Designs  and  de- 
scriptions are  given  for  every  grade  of  rural  abode,  from  the  log-house  up  to  the 
splendid  villa,  and  ever  with  an  eye  to  the  most  perfect  combination  of  taste  and 
convenience.  The  style*  as  well  as  the  sentiment  of  the  book  is  very  charming, 
and  the  mechanical  execution  admirable. — N.  Y.  Courier  and  Enquirer. 

No  one  designing  to  build  a  cottage  or  villa  residence  should  enter  upon  the 
enterprise  without  first  securing  a  copy  of  this  work. — Brooklyn  Eagle. 

It  should  be  in  the  hands  of  the  cit  who  wisely  contemplates  the  establishment 
of  a  retired  homestead,  and  of  the  ill-educated  builder,  who  fancies  himself  an 
accomplished  architect. — Albion. 

Every  way  suited  for  the  purpose  to  which  it  is  devoted,  of  improving  domes- 
tic architecture  and  increasing  the  comforts  of  our  homes. — iV.  Y.  Chronicle. 

One  of  the  most  useful  and  beautiful  works  that  have  been  produced  to  supply 
the  demand  for  information  in  regard  to  the  modern  improvements  in  domestic 
architecture. — JV.  Y.  Commercial  Advertiser. 

It  will  become  a  standard  authority  and  favorite  guide,  as  well  as  an  ornament 
to  the  libraries  and  centre-tables  of  the  land. — Boston  Transcript. 

Decidedly  the  best  work  on  villas  and  cottages  that  has  yet  appeared  in  this 
country. — Louisville  Courier. 

The  book  itself  is  a  luxury  of  type,  paper,  and  engravings.  The  mere  turning 
of  its  leaves  is  a  lesson  in  taste,  and  the  wide  diffusion  of  its  principles  and  mod- 
els would  beautify  the  land. — N.  Y.  Independent. 

The  designs  are  exquisite,  and  the  explanations  lucid  and  comprehensive. — 
New  Orleans  Bee. 

The  designs  are  on  every  scale,  from  the  most  humble  cottage  to  the  most  el- 
egant villa. — Providence  Journal. 

The  designs  are  tasteful,  and  are  suited  to  all  localities,  and  the  means  of  the 
most  humble  as  well  as  the  purse  of  the  millionaire. — Buffalo  Courier. 

We  wish  a  copy  of  it  were  in  the  hands  of  every  architect,  and  of  every  one 
Avho  proposes  to  build. — Wisconsin  Paper. 

A  book  which  should  be  possessed  by  every  architect,  builder,  and  gentleman. 
—X.  0.  Crescent. 

There  is  no  work  on  cottage  and  villa  architecture  superior  to  this. — Ladies' 
Repository. 

No  one  who  has  the  means  to  make  a  home  worthy  of  the  name  should  begin 
to  build  without  carefully  examining  it. — Church  Revieio. 

Published  by  HARPER  &  BROTHERS, 

Franklin  Square,  New  York. 


'0  Catalogue. 


A  NEW  DESCRIPTIVE  CATALOGUE  OF  HARPER  &  BROTHERS' 
PUBLICATIONS,  with  an  Index  and  Classified  Table  of  Contents,  is 
now  ready  for  Distribution,  and  may  be  obtained  gratuitously  on 
application  to  the  Publishers  personally,  or  by  letter  inclosing  Six 
CENTS  in  Postage  Stamps. 

The  attention  of  gentlemen,  in  town  or  country,  designing  to  form 
Libraries  or  enrich  their  Literary  Collections,  is  respectfully  invited 
to  this  Catalogue,  which  will  be  found  to  comprise  a  large  propor- 
tion of  the  standard  and  most  esteemed  works  in  English  Literature 

—COMPREHENDING    MORE   THAN   TWO   THOUSAND   VOLUMES  —  which 

Are  offered,  in  most  instances,  at  less  than  one  half  the  cost  of  sim- 
ilar productions  in  England. 

To  Librarians  and  others  connected  with  Colleges,  Schools,  <fec., 
<Vho  may  not  have  access  to  a  reliable  guide  in  forming  the  true 
estimate  of  literary  productions,  it  is  believed  this  Catalogue  will 
prove  especially  valuable  as  a  manual  of  reference. 

To  prevent  disappointment,  it  is  suggested  that,  whenever  books 
can  not  be  obtained  through  any  bookseller  or  local  agent,  applica- 
tions with  remittance  should  be  addressed  direct  to  the  Publisher, 
which  will  be  promptly  attended  to. 


USE 


I 


